Nightmares Will Find You
by avatarforeva
Summary: Cassie Grayson, 16 years old daughter of famed hero Nightwing has most of her life motherless. At 10 years old she watched Slade murder Starfire and has been haunted by that memory ever since. With the anniversary of the murder only days away Cassie is so busy with her own nightmares and her father's over protectiveness, she doesn't stop to consider his concern may be worthwhile.
1. Prologue

_So I got demands for a sequel to my last fanfic, Inherit the Night, and here it is. I wrote it so that you don't have to read the first one in order to understand this one. I will warn you now, I hit on some very mature topics though don't worry I wouldn't consider this rated R by far. I really hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear feedback so read and review people! We come here for criticism don't we? _

_I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Cassie is my only true OC. Enjoy. _

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Prologue:

Saturday, 3 September 2013

1:35 AM

Cassie's POV

Dangling her feet over the edge of a cliff Cassie watches the sun set over Jump City's sparkling bay, if her dad were there she is sure he would yell at her and tell her to be more careful. The rock face could crumble and drop her into the open air but she isn't worried. Wind brushes across her face blowing some of her long black hair into her eyes and raising goose bumps on her arms. She rubs her arms trying to get rid of the chill and finds they are covered in the stretchy black material of her uniform. Confused, she picks at the material unable to recall why she is wearing it. Is she on a mission? She presses around her eyes gently with her fingertips searching for a mask that isn't there. She looks down at herself, a thin, red, V-shaped bird sprawled over her chest, her stomach bare, black utility belt strapped to her hips, black pants, and boots; Sparrow's compete uniform minus the mask. Her turquoise eyes search the crashing surf below looking for an explanation.

In her peripheral vision something darts by. Instinctively, Cassie is on her feet in seconds, hand hovering over her utility belt, scanning her surroundings. She moves away from the edge of the cliff her feet leaving prints in the dirt, in front of her is a wide expanse of grass dominated by a cluster of massive boulders to her left and in the distance she can make out some neglected concrete buildings extending in rows for a fair distance. Something about the old compound is familiar to her but she can't quite place where she knows it from. Cautiously she moves forward and a sound like a falling rock emanates from around the boulders.

"Hello?" Silence. The quiet makes her more uneasy, an ominous feeling hanging in the dusty air, a sense of panic she can't explain starts to build in her chest. _Get a grip!_ "Is anyone there?" There is a high ear-splitting scream.

Without really knowing how, they must have run there when she wasn't looking, Cassandra finds two people locked together in a fight where she had been standing at the edge of the cliff. She freezes. Something here is very wrong. The panic grows, rooting her in place. The man isn't facing her, he is tall and muscular, his body covered from head to toe in a plated suit and the woman is obviously in trouble, her red hair whips around as she fights back kicking and punching all the while constantly looking over her shoulder for something. Cassie's breathing comes short and she can't figure out why. A bright green bolt of energy builds in the woman's hand and she sends it at the man's face, he yelps and falls back. The woman with the red hair looks in her direction and they lock eyes, hers are shining green and the moment they land on Cassie they fill with terror to match Cassandra's own. The woman mouths "Cassie," in shock. _Oh my God! No!_ It hits her, why everything is so familiar, this is the day her mom died.

"No!" She bursts forward desperate to stop what is about to happen ignoring her mother's orders to turn around and find her dad. Cassie's eyes find the man, Slade, he took the opportunity to his advantage drawing closer to Starfire. "Mom! Mom, Look out!" Desperation colors her voice. She reaches for her utility belt, if she could just throw a bird-a-rang, he would never see it coming; her hand only finds the trim of her pants. _It was there! No!_ She's too late. Blood streams out from Starfire's side staining her purple skirt and dampening the grass. "No!" Cassie falls to her knees at her mother's side squeezing her hand, shaking her shoulders, crying over her collapsed body while the light drains out of her green eyes. "Don't leave me again! Mom, please!" Her breath comes short and shallow all of her training and control forgotten.

"Don't worry…" Cassandra is yanked to her feet by her hair and her back is pressed against a solid body before she can think to react. "You are going with her." Slade's cold gravelly voice is the last thing she hears before she bolts upright in bed.

City sounds spill in, muffled through the window, and Cassie sucks air into her trembling body. She looks around at her room its purple walls and pictures all familiar even in the shadows of night. It takes her a moment to realize what happened – a nightmare. Her first thought is to hope she hadn't screamed in her sleep and woken up her dad but the door remains shut so she decides she hadn't. _Not again!_ Frustrated she throws off her blankets and hugs her knees to her chest trying to put it out of her mind. Every year, every September, the nightmares came again. Every September a part of her felt like her mom had just died. Thankfully after a few minutes of deep breathing she manages to set the panic aside and lays back on her pillows staring out her window wishing for patrol.


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. Please read and review! I love the feedback you guys are awesome! _

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Chapter 1:

Saturday, 3 September 2013

12:50 PM

Cassie's POV

Cassie's up by 6 am and at the Cave training until midday, her first nightmare of the month hanging on her mind. She had done everything from combat training with Black Canary to tactics and strategy simulation, to target practice and then more combat. By the end of it she's tired, drenched in sweat, hungry, and ready for more. She had forced herself to be good, fighting the urge to sneak out the night before, and is itching for an outlet such as a good case. With her training done for the day Cassie walks to her gym bag and fishes out her water bottle. Her body is tingling and heavy so she sits down to stretch, a welcome soreness spreading through her muscles.

"You don't look very tired…" Tim Drake, Robin, sits down next to her, his breathing rapid, his suit, like hers, soaked through with sweat. "What's your secret?"

"I've been doing this longer." He motions for the water bottle sitting by her bag which she obligingly hands to him. He drains the bottle so fast she is afraid he might accidentally drown himself but he survives and his breathing evens out.

"A whole two years, big deal." He hands the water bottle back and she's sure that if his mask weren't there she would have seen him roll his eyes.

"You'd be surprised." Normally she would jump at the opportunity to argue with Tim but her heart isn't in it, still she doesn't want to let him know there is something wrong so she throws as much attitude into her response as possible. He doesn't respond for a moment, Cassie picks at the wrapper on the water bottle avoiding his gaze.

"Cassie…" Tim's voice is soft and concerned, "Cassie look at me." She sets the water bottle in her lap, leans her head against the wall, and looks at Tim who has taken of his mask to reveal his blue eyes. He looks at her for a moment worry and understanding etched into the lines of his face. "It's September." She nods and turns back to picking at the bottle. The entire team knew what September meant for Dick and Cassie, it was the anniversary of her mother's murder, and every year Cassie had nightmares and Dick got more paranoid than usual.

"It started last night…" She pushes aside the memory of the nightmare, the feeling of being helpless, the shock of knowing she was about to die. "The nightmares."

"You okay?"

"What do you think?" Cassie's usual attitude seeps into her remark without any effort on her part and Tim laughs a little.

"What did your dad say?" She looks up at him, some of his damp black hair falls into his eyes. She is struck by their iciness, something he shared with her father, an uncanny coincidence that so many of the Bat Family had the same blue eyes and black hair even though they weren't actually related. Tim really could be her uncle, not just her adoptive uncle. The thought of him as her uncle though made her uneasy, he was too close to her age, only a year her senior, and he was more like her brother than anything else. He was also her only true best friend.

"I didn't tell him." His eyes narrow at her and he sits up straighter.

"Why not?" Cassie shrugs.

"He has a tough time with September too and I don't want to make it any worse for him. Plus we both know how he gets; I'm not likely to see any real combat this month and I'm going to go crazy. If he thinks I'm okay maybe I'll get to go out…" Her voice trails off knowing that no matter what she says Tim is going to think she is making a mistake.

"Cassie you aren't making it worse for him." He shakes his head at her and a few drops of sweat fly from his hair. "You watched your mom die, that isn't something anyone just bounces back from and you know that. Look most of us have stress issues with everything we see, look at Bats, he's like the worst of all of us!" He trails off probably disappointed that she didn't at least smile, "What I'm saying is, it's okay to not be okay with that. There is nothing wrong with you for having nightmares about it. And you're wrong, there is no way your dad will let you out to patrol or go on any missions until at least October so that excuse isn't valid." He bites his lip.

"I know…" Cassie opens her mouth to say more but stops when she catches Nightwing walking in their direction, Tim follows her gaze.

"If you really don't want to talk to him then give me a call, okay?"

"Okay." Tim raises his eyebrow at her, unconvinced. She gives him a small smile and promises, "You will be getting a lot of late night phone calls, don't worry." They fall into silence as her dad walks up and scoops up her gym bag.

"Are you ready to go because I'm starving?" Cassie jumps up to follow him to the zeta platform, walking a little bit ahead of him while he says goodbye to Robin who is still sitting on the floor. "Later bro." He extends a black gloved hand for a fist bump.

"Yeah, see you tonight." Tim returns the gesture and Cassie stops confused.

"What's happening tonight?"

"Benefit dinner," Tim looks from Cassie then back up at his big brother, "You guys are coming right?" A memory surfaces in Cassie's mind; before school one morning, her dad telling her about a benefit that would take place following week.

"Yeah, I think someone just forgot." Nightwing throws his hand in Cassie's direction.

"But dad," She walks up to him and tugs at the strap of her gym bag slung over his shoulder, "Do we have to go? I wanted to patrol tonight." He looks down at her, his mouth set in a line.

"Hey if I have to go, you have to go too."

"Shut up Tim."

"Cassie relax, we don't have to patrol every night." He puts a hand on her shoulder, something he has done ever since she was little, even before her mom was killed. His face seems to slacken for a moment and she's sure he is trying to think of the best excuse for not letting her go. Throughout September he was more overprotective than usual and she was never likely to see anything more real than combat training. Cassie knew why he did it; he was afraid to lose her on any day but September winds carried memories which made the thought more real. "The city can survive without us patrolling it for one night. No one did yesterday and it isn't raining fire is it?"

"No…" It's true, there isn't always one of them on patrol every day. She really just wanted the distraction to help her take her mind off of bad memories. "You're right."

"Don't look so disappointed." He waves to Tim and heads toward the platform with Cassie lagging behind.

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_A/N: I apologize if the first few chapters seem slow, I promise it picks up, I was trying to keep the chapters short so they aren't overwhelming. I'm posting fast. I promise. Review please!_


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N : I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for your support. Keep the reviews coming I love hearing what you all have to say!_

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Chapter 2:

Saturday, 3 September 2013

9:40 PM

Dick's POV

Benefit dinners and parties could be fun, Dick knew that, but usually they were just means for the rich to show off their wealth in the name of charity. Though he supposed he couldn't feel that way about this benefit considering it was being hosted by his adoptive father and all the proceeds really were going to charity. He stands at the far end of Wayne manor's banquet hall watching the people talk and laugh, the light from the chandelier making their jewelry sparkle. Out of the throng he spots Cassie walking over to him. He almost hadn't recognized her, she looked so grown up. She had chosen to wear a blue cocktail dress which clung to her figure, she stood tall in her black stilettos, her eyes were lightly smudged in black with a little blue peeking out from behind her lashes, and her hair spilled half way down her back in a thick cascade of black curls. She stops in front of him and looks down at herself, some of her hair falling over her shoulder, when she looks back up her eyebrows are raised.

"What?" She looks down again, "Did I get something on my dress?"

"Oh, sorry, no…" Dick realizes he had been starring. Seeing her there she reminds him of her mother. She has Star's soft curves, long ringlets of hair, and big eyes, of course Cassie's have more blue than green in them tonight. The similarities weren't always so obvious because she looked more like him when it came to complexion and coloring but Star was definitely in there. It made his chest tight thinking of Star usually but now, this month, it was always worse. He smiles trying to hide the change in his emotions. "You just look beautiful." She smiles and waves his compliment off.

"You're my dad. You're obligated to say that." Dick shrugs.

"Well I'm not," Barbara Gordon struts up to Dick's side, she wears a floor length black dress that hides her shoes and her red hair is pinned up in a bun at the back of her head, her eyes resting on Cassie's face. "And I say you look beautiful." Cassie laughs and tosses her hair back over her shoulder mumbling a thank you.

"Oh so when she says it – Ow!" Barbara tugs on his green tie before he finishes his sentence. He glares at her, not really mad, straightening it again.

"Everything is okay when I say it." She points a finger at herself and smiles smugly, "Remember that Grayson."

"How could I forget?" With his tie straight again Dick returns his hands to his pockets and looks back at Cassie who is starring apprehensively out the window into the night. Dick follows her gaze a nervous feeling building in his gut, "What are you looking at?"

"What?" Cassie turns back to him surprised, as if pulled from a deep thought, Dick motions toward the window. "Oh, I was just starring off into space." She smiles and looks between them. "Have you guys seen Tim?" She doesn't give them a chance to answer, "I'm going to go look for him." She turns back and Dick meets her eyes catching a spark of mischief in her turquoise irises that he hopes he imagined. "Bye," a grin lights up her face and with a wave she is gone.

"Don't do it." He feels a tug at his suit in Barbara's direction but doesn't turn to look at her.

"Do what?"

"Go running after her…" Her voice falls off and he tears his eyes from the doorway Cassie vanished through. "You have that look on your face like you are afraid you'll never see her again." Barbara's voice is soft and her eyes full of concern. Dick isn't surprised, he can't help but be terrified at the thought of something happening to his baby, to Star's baby. He looks back toward the door and sighs heavily knowing even if he wants to keep Cassandra in his line of sight all night, he shouldn't.

"Yeah… she's fine." He smiles hoping she will drop it. He isn't so lucky.

"Are you?" Uncomfortable Dick scratches the back of his head ruffling his charcoal hair, "I know it's not -"

"Not my favorite time of the year?" He sticks his hand back in his pocket and looks her in the eye sure she can see his soul through their blue depths. "Yeah, that's the understatement of my life Babs." Star had been murdered on September 7 and the worst weeks of his life had followed. He thought he'd lost everything; his wife, child, and friends and he'd done it all to himself because he had been stupid enough to pick up a shot glass. Cassie had a scar on her wrist to prove it. When he finally snapped out of it he had almost been too late. Slade had Walle. Dick wouldn't let him die too so he went after him with Artemis, and they saved him. Dick faced Slade and won.

Regardless of that redemption Dick could never forgive himself, at least not completely. He would never stop worrying about Cassie either. Slade was dead, he knew that, but nothing would make him forget the terror of knowing someone was out for her. And no matter how much time passed he would never stop missing and aching for Star because a part of him would always belong to her. The pain never got easier, it just became something he had learned to live with, and always would.

"Dick you can't change any of it…" Barbara pulls him from his reverie with a hand on his arm, he meets her gaze. "I still miss her too but Dick, Star was a happy person and she wouldn't want you to hate yourself."

"I know…" He motions for her to take his arm and puts on a smile, "Don't worry Babs, I'll be alright." She takes his arm and he leads her into the crowd of chattering people preferring to talk to them about business and the like rather than discuss his past pains. Minutes of conversation melt into hours of socializing that, much to Dick's surprise, he enjoys despite the sting of September.


	4. Chapter 3

_A/N: I got a question from someone asking why i didn't just use Mar'i since she is really Dick and Starfire's daughter and I would like to answer it here. I have nothing against Mar'i as a character its just I wanted more freedom to kind of rebuild the her as my own and I felt like if I made up my own version but stuck Mar'i's name on it then it would be disrespectful to her character. I hope this doesn't bother any of you guys too much. I'm doing my best to respond to questions and comments so thank you very much for your honesty and curiosity. _

_I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. I appreciate the feedback! Hope you enjoy! Thanks_

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Chapter 3:

Saturday; 3 September 2013

11:50 PM

Dick's POV:

Around 11:30 someone clears their throat just behind his left shoulder, Dick turns to find Alfred standing there his hands clasped behind his back in his normal stance and a flicker in his eye which suggests something important is happening. Dick turns back to the people he had been talking to and excuses himself from the conversation. Without really waiting for him, Alfred motions for Dick to follow him out of the room.

"Though I'm sure it is nothing," Alfred begins, his voice calm as usual, leading Dick to the East Wing of Wayne Manor. "There was an alarm set off in the library."

"Did you tell Bruce?" Dick picks up his pace a bit; Wayne Manor had a knack for attracting unwanted attention.

"Yes, he went ahead and sent me to get you," They were outside the library's dark oak double doors, "I would expect he's already here."

Sure enough Bruce had beaten them there, he stood across the room examining a half open window allowing thick black night to spill into the room. Dick walks up to the opposite side of the window and begins to inspect it as well. It appears normal, no scratch marks, and no streaks from the soles of a shoe, it appears to have just been pushed up. Whoever opened it likely loosened a hinge on the outside and was smart enough not to leave any obvious physical evidence. _That rules out a wandering party guest._ The alarm that went off was a motion sensor connected to the window sill, it would have been hidden had you looked at it from the outside and you would have to know what to look for once you were inside. At the very least Dick assumes they are dealing with a decent cat burglar, at the worst… He tries to ignore the idea.

"Alfred," Bruce looks up at his butler still standing just inside the doorway, "Go find Tim please, tell him to come around to the window from the outside."

"Right away Master Bruce."

"Cassie is probably with him, send her too." Even with such a minor threat the idea of not knowing where Cassie is makes Dick feel uneasy. Bruce nods once and Alfred leaves, closing the door behind him with a soft thud.

"Going to have him check the hinges?" Dick moves a bit to the side until he is standing directly in front of the window shoulder to shoulder with Bruce.

"That's your assumption as well then?" Dick nods taking in the size of the gap. It is only a foot high, maybe even a little shorter.

"Care to hear my other assumptions?" Bruce remains silent. "Whoever opened this had to know what to look for to find that motion sensor and they obviously left quickly after seeing it because that opening would not be easy to crawl through." Bruce nods in agreement and leans forward looking through the glass although Dick doesn't know what he expects to find with the night obscuring his view of the grass.

"Not to mention the lack of shoe marks and that the grain of the carpet is still heading in the same direction." He leans back again and meets Dick's eyes, "Our uninvited guest never made it inside." They fall silent once more. Dick considers why someone would leave like that if they had been determined to break into the building in the first place.

"So we have two possibilities considering they even noticed the sensor; either they got nervous by the alarm and got scared off or they were smart enough to know they would be caught and left in favor of something else." Dick stares out into the night thinking worst case scenario, if whoever it was knew enough to leave because they would get caught then they are likely smart enough to figure out another way inside and try again. The thought of someone breaking in makes him want to go find Cassie but he buries the idea knowing Alfred is summoning her. "I guess motive is our next question?"

"There could be plenty of those especially with all these people here tonight, Bruce Wayne may have-" Bruce is interrupted by Alfred clearing his throat in the doorway. Dick looks toward the window expecting to find Tim and Cassie but finds them both absent, he turns back to Alfred apprehension building in his stomach.

"Where are they?" He demands.

"I'm sorry but I can't seem to find either young Miss Cassandra or Master Tim. Miss Gordon is continuing the search but it would appear they have been gone for quite some time, no one has seem them for about an hour and a half or so." Nerves and anger immediately begin to eat at Dick and he groans. _Where is she?_ What if they were wrong and the intruder did get in and took her? More likely however, Dick knows Cassie is more than capable of sneaking off on her own, she had before; but all of that was behind her, wasn't it?

"Are you sure?" Dick fights back the conclusion he must inevitably come to. Alfred nods sympathetically. She wouldn't leave. Cassie knew better. And Tim, he was always nervous to upset Bruce.

"Tim is gone?" Bruce looks at Dick his eyebrows raised in accusation.

"This is not my fault."

"No." Bruce begins to move toward the door Dick moving at a faster pace desperate to prove himself wrong. "But she is definitely your daughter." Outside the door Dick shakes his head his nerves feeding his annoyance and anger.

"Believe me, I know." Dick takes off in the direction of Tim's bedroom desperately hoping that he will prove himself wrong and find them there.


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: I don't own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Keep the reviews and comments coming! Love you guys! Thanks!_

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Chapter 4:

Sunday, 4 September 2013

12:27 AM

Cassie's POV:

When she found Tim at the party and confessed that she still couldn't take her mind off of the nightmare, it truly had been eating her up, and she was still reluctant to talk to her dad he had surprised her by suggesting that they ditch the party and go patrol. Normally it was Cassie who wanted to sneak out, break rules, push the envelope, and basically be the rebel. Tim just got dragged along for the ride because he was too nervous to disappoint Bruce yet too proud to let Cassie tease him for always doing everything he was told. Patrolling didn't just take her mind off of the month, her mom, her nightmares, but it also helped her maintain her resolve. The nightmares always made her feel helpless and insubstantial, no matter what she did in her nightmares or in reality nothing would ever save her mom, but out here in the real world she could save everyone else to make up for that.

"Okay guys let's make this fast." Robin speaks nonchalantly as they drop down into a warehouse full of drug smugglers. There was always something illegal going on at the docks so it was usually one of their stops when they snuck out, tonight they got lucky. Cassie drops down next to him, the smugglers form a ring of about seven around them some holding metal pipes, knifes, and various objects that could be turned into weapons. "Sparrow and I have to be back within the hour."

"Oh no rush," Sparrow steps behind Robin in a back to back position her voice confident, "This was just getting fun." Several of the smugglers in Sparrow's vision exchange looks like they are concerned for their well-being, she smiles enjoying the feeling.

"We've only got like half an hour." Robin checks his watch without a care, unnerving more of the smugglers.

"This won't take that long." She smiles and one of the more confident smugglers steps forward with his long pipe swinging back in forth between his hands.

"No it won't." He lunges. One person is easy, Sparrow ducks beneath his blow and it goes wide. From below she grabs her assailant's wrist and twists his hand free of the pipe. He makes a growling sound as it clangs to the ground and tries to grab her but again he is too slow and Sparrow elbows him beneath the jaw, his head flies back and he falls to the floor unconscious. The fight is over too fast, adrenaline still courses through her body and she isn't even sweating. She looks up smiling at the reaction of the smugglers, most of which have taken a few steps back and look more determined to run than fight.

"So…" She looks around at each of the smugglers and at Robin standing a few feet beside her, arms crossed over his chest watching the show. "Who's next?" Several of them appear to take offense by her comment.

The smuggler nearest to Sparrow takes a few steps forward and is on the floor before his third step but it isn't Sparrow who takes him down. She steps back and surveys her surroundings automatically concerned that there is a new threat in the vicinity. The remaining smugglers drop quickly the only thing connecting them a yellow and red blur. A new, more nervous, kind of adrenaline begins to spread through Cassie. Within a few seconds all seven smugglers are tied to the legs of a table on the far side of the room. Cassie looks over at Tim realizing that they are caught. _We were supposed to have another half hour!_ She bites her lip when Kid Flash finally materializes in front of them his arms folded over his chest and mouth set in a hard line. _At least it's Wally, he might not tell dad. If I beg…Maybe_.

"Your dad is going to kill you." All hopes of getting away with sneaking out again evaporate from Cassie's mind. "What were you thinking! Didn't you just get grounded over the summer for sneaking out?" Cassie nods imagining what kind of punishment she will receive this time. Any hope of real combat in October vanishes and she hopes she will only have to wait until November. "When are you going to learn?" Wally's comment cuts Cassie deeply, he's usually the one to play devil's advocate for her and she hates disappointing him and his girlfriend, Artemis, just as much as she does her own father.

"I don't know." Cassie stares at the tips of her black boots a mixture of emotions twirling through her, guilt, frustration, anger, and sorrow being prominent ingredients. She just needed the outlet, was that really too much to ask for? Her father would never let it happen so could anyone really blame her for taking it into her own hands?

"I would want to get to the Bat Cave pretty quick if I were you two." Cassie looks at Robin and despite the black domino mask covering his eyes she is sure he is thinking the same thing she is. _We are so dead._ Tim groans quietly and begins to move toward the back entrance they had come in through.

"Actually I don't think you would." Cassie can't help but agree.


	6. Chapter 5

_A/N: I don't own these characters, DC Nation has all the rights to them. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!_

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Chapter 5:

Sunday; 4 September 2013

1:05 AM

Dick's POV:

"Will you please stop pacing? You're going to wear a rut into the floor." Dick shoots Barbara an icy stare and returns to his tread. If he couldn't go out and find them he definitely was not just going to sit in one spot and wait for Cassie and Tim to come back. "See this is exactly why we called Wally to go find her." He turns on her and shouts.

"Shut up!" Her hands go up in surrender but her expression remains stern. She leans back on the supercomputer console.

"I rest my case." Dick shakes his head at her not caring what she thinks_. I should have gone out myself._ It wasn't that he didn't trust Wally to bring Cassie back, Dick just isn't comfortable standing there waiting. Feeling hot he strips off his jacket and tosses it aside angrily. "Calm down, Dick. They'll be here in a few minutes." Dick is about to yell at her again when the R-cycle speeds into the Bat Cave with Sparrow and Robin perched on top of it followed by Wally skidding to a stop behind them. "Told you." Any retort Dick may have had goes unspoken beneath the shouting he unleashes on Cassie.

"What the hell were you thinking?! I cannot believe you would do something so stupid Cassandra!" Dick registers the shrinking motion she makes when he stalks up and stands glowering down at her. "Have you learned nothing from the last four or five times?" She drops her head so he only has a view of her black ponytail. "Look at me when I talk to you young lady." She doesn't look up. Dick gives an exasperated sigh and speaks again, his tone final "Cassandra Ray Grayson you will remove your mask and look me in the eye while I'm talking to you, do you understand?" Dick picks his head up and waits. Her eyes are big and sad when she looks up but her gaze does not waver. Dick is struck by the urge to wrap her in his arms and never let go, he is overreacting to some extent and he knows it. It was this damn month, every second she was out there he had been terrified something would happen. Why did she have to be so much like him? Rebellion and stubbornness ran in the family.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Cassie opens her mouth to speak and closes it again. "I am so incredibly disappointed in you. I really thought we were passed this Cassie. What was going through your head?" Dick waits for a moment but continues his tirade. "What possibly made you think that was a good idea?" Something inside Dick snaps and he cannot keep himself from screaming even when Cassie's eyes go wide and she shrinks away from him further. "That was the stupidest thing you have ever done! Didn't it cross your mind all of the things that could happen?" Cassie looks passed Dick at someone behind him her gaze searching for help. "I don't care how invincible you think you are Cassie, you can't go out there by yourself. You could get hurt! Don't you understand that?" The terror of losing her makes Dick feel hollow until the memory of losing Star and all of that pain fills the void. "I'm trying to protect you!"

"Protect me?" She shakes her head at him her hair swinging gently behind her skull. "You're smothering me!" Dick is taken aback by her comment. "You think I don't know I'm not invincible? You think I don't know this is dangerous?" Her voice cracks and she has to take a moment to compose herself, "Of all people how could _I_ forget dad? How could I forget when I'm stuck in the middle of September?" Part of Dick's angry resolve cracks remembering that she must be having just as much trouble with this month as he is.

"Then why would you go?"

"Because I know what I'm doing!…I'm not scared of a stupid month!" A part of Dick's heart twists painfully in his chest angry that she would be so disrespectful especially after sneaking out yet again.

"That's enough." Immediately Cassie reacts, though her body language suggests she is still angry she halts her outburst. "I am your father and you are only 16 and if I say you can't go out then you can't. End of story. Do you understand me?" They maintain eye contact and Dick watches her expression become darker, "You broke rules and you will suffer the consequences. I don't care if there is a national emergency you are not going anywhere near combat until I decide you are mature enough to even begin to regain my trust. You go to school, you come home, and that's it. Do you understand me?" Dick's voice has dropped dangerously low and carries a finality he knows Cassie cannot deny yet even when she nods her head he doesn't feel any better. Her eyes are cold and hurt. "Go change, Barbara is taking you home." Barbara looks shocked by this information but doesn't argue and follows Cassie out of the room leaving Tim at Dick's mercy.


	7. Chapter 6

_A/N: DC Nation owns the rights to all of these characters, I do not. You guys are so great, thank you for the feedback and for reading! Enjoy!_

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Chapter 6:

Sunday; 4 September 2013

1:20 AM

Dick's POV:

Cassie and Barbara disappear into the depths of the Bat Cave while Dick watches with conflicting guilt churning in his stomach. It wasn't easy to yell at Cassie. It was even harder to see her look at him like that; betrayed. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, now isn't the time for regret and fatherly affections. It had to be done. She needed to learn. The world wasn't safe and she had to understand that. He turns to face Tim who stands a few feet from his bike, mask tucked into his belt, and cape hanging motionlessly. Seeing his little brother standing before him confidently Dick can't think of anything to say. They remain silent until Tim finally punctures the void.

"Did I manage escape your wrath?" Dick is stunned, "Or did you just use all of your screaming capability on Cassie?" Attitude like that isn't uncommon coming from Tim but he would normally be more respectful and timid at a time like this; when he knows he's in trouble.

"Are you really going to talk to me like that?" The two brothers stare each other down through narrowed eyes.

"Can't exactly take it back now, can I?" Tim takes a few steps forward, but his posture slackens a bit when Dick doesn't shrink away.

"You know what else you can't take back?" Dick throws is hand out toward the R-cycle, "You didn't talk Cassie out of sneaking out! You drove off into the night behind our backs and you both could have been killed! I can't believe you of all-"

"Stop!" Dick is so shocked by the interruption that he does what he's told. "Damn it Dick, Cassie is right. If this had been any other time of the year you would not be this worked up about this. You wouldn't be telling us how stupid and dangerous it was…"

"No. He would." Wally walks into the conversation, the three men now standing in a triangle. "I would too honestly."

"My point is, if it wasn't September you wouldn't be this worked up. You are just taking it out on Cassie and it isn't fair to her." Dick hates to admit that Tim is right but he knows it is true, even Wally nods in reluctant agreement. If Cassie and Tim had snuck out at any other time of the year the focus of his lecturing would have been more about reckless action and an inability to follow orders and less about their untimely deaths. Both of them had been trained well and if any of the Junior Justice League members were ready for solo missions it was Sparrow and Robin. Regardless, they had no right to sneak off and, after all, it was September.

"You should have talked her out of it. Tim you're the sensible one!" Dick searches his face imploring him to see reason even though they have already passed the time when it would have done any good. "Out of all of us Tim you're the…." Dick gropes for a word that will suffice but comes up lacking. "Responsible. Between all of us; me, Barbara, Jason, Bruce, it's you. You are the least reckless." All of the fight goes out of Dick and he just looks at Tim, his blue eyes pleading, "Why didn't you talk her out of it?"

"Because it was my idea." Dick stares unbelieving. The idea of Tim being the instigator is too foreign for him to comprehend.

"Seriously?" Somehow Wally finds this amusing and tries to stifle a laugh. Dick looks at him coldly unable to see how this is funny.

"Why would you do that?" Tim knew what Dick was afraid of, he had told him before. Staring at him now though Dick doesn't feel like it's his little brother staring back. A brother wouldn't do that, he would have been on Dick's side. "You're supposed to be my brother! I thought I could trust you!"

"I am…" Tim's countenance changes and he takes a small step back, his blue eyes suddenly softer, "You can trust me. We're family."

"Then why would you do this to me?"

"Dick I didn't do anything _to_ you, I did this _for_ Cassie." His eyes plead for understanding yet Dick can't help but feel betrayed remembering the panic their escape caused. Tim knew what it would do to him and did it anyway.

"Right." Dick scoffs at him, angry that he has the audacity to try to make it sound like he was doing some kind of good.

"She's having nightmares again Dick." He shakes his head at Tim. _She would have told me. She always tells me._ "I told her to tell you but she…" Dick feels a weight on his chest. "She's afraid to make this month harder on you than it already is."

"What?" He speaks angrily though he isn't sure who exactly he is angry at. Cassie. Tim. Himself. Maybe even all three.

"She…" Tim cuts himself off and looks at his boots for a moment. He squints at Dick when he looks up. "Ask Cassie." They hold each other's gazes for a moment and Dick fights the urge to demand that Tim tell him everything because he knows the only person who can really tell him is Cassie and the only person who can help her is her dad. Dick motions in the direction of the Bat Cave's entrance to the house dismissing Tim who hesitates before walking soundlessly out of Dick's line of sight and back into the Manor to face the only man more terrifying than Dick Grayson; Bruce Wayne.


	8. Chapter 7

_A/N: I don't own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!_

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Chapter 7:

Sunday; 4 September 2013

2:10 PM

Cassie's POV:

Spending an entire day in bed is not how Cassie liked using her time but she didn't have much else to do. After being yelled at the night before and sent home like a criminal to a jail cell she had been too agitated to sleep so she sat in bed fuming for several hours. When sleep finally took her, a nightmare woke her inside of two hours. Since then she has bounced between rearranging and reorganizing her desk, staring out the window desperately wanting to punch through the glass, pacing to keep herself from doing just that, and, when she starts feeling as exhausted as she really is, lying in bed until she needs to start moving again.

It is shocking that she has been left alone for this long, she had expected her dad to come storming in once he got home but it was now well into the afternoon and her door remained firmly shut. _Good_, she thought, he doesn't want to talk to her just as much as she wants to be left alone. She turns over in bed, burying her face in a pillow, if she is lucky maybe he will never come in. How could he blame her for sneaking out anyway? He had no right, Cassie knew he had been just as troublesome as a teenager. Who was he to tell her 'no' when he was just as bad, if not worse? If he wasn't so paranoid and overprotective she wouldn't have to in the first place! He was keeping her from the only thing she had ever known, the only thing that made her feel closer to her mom. It was the only thing she had left of Starfire and her dad was trying to take that away when she needed it most. Angry again she sits up and throws the pillow at her wall for no real reason other than she wants to hit something. It makes a dull thump on impact and falls to the floor, not nearly as satisfying as she had hoped. Seconds later her door flies open, her dad standing in the doorway looking sleep-deprived, his hair poking out awkwardly in gray sweats and a black T-shirt, Cassie narrows her eyes at him.

"I'm not dead." She lays back down facing away from her father. _You can leave now_. When the door doesn't close she becomes more annoyed, "And as you can see I'm still in my prison cell. The window is even locked."

"Prison cell?" His voice sounds normal and makes Cassie feel as though her eyes are threatening to spill over tears. She expected him to be angry and hoped he would sound sorry but instead he sounds as nonchalant as ever. Her lack of response draws him into the room and she pulls her feet away from him when he sits on the edge of her bed. "Are we going to talk about last night?" Cassie doesn't look at him though she can feel his gaze.

"Nothing to talk about. I'm grounded and you're disappointed. I got it the first time."

"No, if you had gotten it the first time you would have stopped sneaking out when you were fourteen and here we are." The bed shifts as her dad repositions himself on its edge, "Cassie I don't want to fight with you. Please sit up." She considers staying where she is but ultimately swings her legs over the side and sits next to him, eyes on her toes. "Thank you. Now do you want to tell me what happened last night?"

"You already know, I got Tim to sneak out with me, we got caught and here we are."

"Any you're sticking with that story?" He leans forward, elbows on knees, and watches Cassie mumble a confirmation. "Tim told me it was his idea." Caught in her lie she darts a quick look at him and finds that instead of angry he just looks tired.

"If Tim already told you why are you asking me?"

"I never said he told me why."

"But he did." She meets his eyes finding concern beneath the exhaustion and knows she is right.

"So he did, but it's not Tim I want to hear it from." Still making eye contact Cassie is overwhelmed with the feeling to drop her guard like she has always done with her dad. They didn't have secrets. It's so easy to let him take care of her like he always has. She knew she was not an easy child, she was rebellious and hard-headed and too independent for her own good but that was because he raised her to believe in herself and she owed him everything. He was her dad. And because of everything he had done, by himself, she didn't want to make the worst month of his life harder on him than it had to be. Cassie was content to suffer quietly but she screwed it up and did exactly what she didn't want to; made it worse. Tears loom behind her eyes and she bites the inside of her cheek trying to divert the emotion. Reassuring shivers run down her spine when she registers that her dad is rubbing her back, a comforting gesture he has done ever since she was little. "I want to hear it from you." She sucks in a shaky breath still fighting the urge to cry.

"They started again, the nightmares." He isn't surprised by the information and waits patiently for her to go on. Cassie stares down at her toes not really seeing them, her mind lost in her nightmares still feeling the fear and frustration. Feeling the tears bearing down on her she tries to blink them back and looks up at her dad, he takes one look into her irises and moves closer his arm encircling her protectively. She leans into the familiar pressure. "I hate it! Everything is fine, some days are worse than others but we are okay most of the year, then September rolls around and… and I watch you fall apart like mom…" Cassie trails off and her dad squeezes her arm encouragingly. "I thought if I could be okay through all this you would be okay too." A muscle in Dick's jaw twitches and he looks at her in a way that makes her fear she somehow made him angry at himself and she cuts him off when he tries to tell her it's all okay. "It's not! It's been seven years dad! Seven years and I'm still having nightmares? I feel so helpless, and I'm not! I can't be! And you won't let me be anything but helpless! I can't just sit on the sidelines for a month and go crazy because all I'm going to do…" Cassie has to stop and compose herself, her breathing starting to become shallow and her eyes burning with tears, "Every second of every day I am just going to be thinking about mom."

"It's okay, it's okay, shhh" Her dad folds her into his chest holding her tightly to him and stroking her tangled black hair. She holds a fistful of his T-shirt and rests her cheek on his shoulder still desperate to hold back tears. "I know it's not easy, believe me baby I know. I'm sorry, I don't handle this kind of thing well, I'm sorry." He pulls back and takes hold of one of her hands. Brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear he gives her a sad smile, "You are all I have Cassie. I just want to keep you safe." Cassie drops her head afraid the tears may finally win.

"You're all I've got too dad." She mumbles and he pulls her back into a hug so tight she is sure he is imagining what it would feel like to never hold her in his arms again so she returns the gesture. "I miss her so much." He strokes her hair and kisses the top of her head tightening his grip.

"I miss her too. Every day."


	9. Chapter 8

_A/N: As I'm sure you all know, I don't own the rights to these characters, they belong to DC Nation. Thank you so much for the support and reviews!_

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Chapter 8:

Monday; 5 September 2013

10:24 AM

Tim's POV:

School normally wasn't something that Tim found particularly bothersome, the training he had received from Batman and the League often rendered it redundant. If anything, school was just inconvenient because it took up time which could be better spent tracking down leads, training, and the like. All it did was interfere with their ability to protect the city. He smiles and waves at friends walking through the pale hallways of Gotham Academy but doesn't stop to chat with them. Today Cassie isn't hard to spot in the crowd, even in the same plaid skirt and black blazer as every other girl, she stands off to the side at her locker thumbing through a textbook as if she is studying though Tim doubts that she actually is. He walks over and leans casually against the locker next to hers meeting her eyes for the brief moment she raises her eyebrows at him before going back to her book; _American Government_.

"Are you seriously studying?" She had received the same education and training as Tim and he knew Cassie picked up her text books as often as he did; hardly ever.

"Does it look like I'm studying?" She flips the page and her eyes travel along the script too fast for her to actually be paying attention, to anyone else she probably looked very studious.

"It does, which is why I'm confused. You never study." The book closes with a snap and she places it on the top shelf of her locker.

"I see your point." Tim shrugs having known it all along, she had been using the façade of studying to avoid socializing with her school friends. She was isolating herself and that proved there was something wrong and it isn't hard for Tim to figure out what. Her eyes look behind him and then she quickly looks over her shoulder before speaking again in a quieter voice, "You didn't have to tell my dad it was your idea. I would have taken the fall for it."

"But it was my idea." She shakes her head at him, her braided hair swinging, as if that fact doesn't matter. A group of freshman stop next to them and Cassie motions with her eyes to the doors at the end of the hallway. Silently she closes her locker, swings her black backpack onto her shoulder, and walks to the doors with Tim heedlessly following her outside into the morning air. Again they check the quad around them for other students before continuing their conversation. "Did you talk to your dad?"

"Yeah," When she stares off into space and doesn't go on Tim worries that he is going to be left in the dark considering he told Dick exactly what he wasn't supposed to. However, if he was being honest, he would do it again. Thankfully, she shakes off whatever thought had distracted her and elaborates looking him in eye. "We talked about it yesterday afternoon. I got the usual speech about how he is just trying to protect me and how I'm all he's got left so I can't sneak out and scare him like that… He told me I was crazy for thinking I could possibly make things worse." Her eyes fall and her body language suggests she doesn't believe it.

"Well you can't." This was the problem with Dick, Cassie, Bruce, himself, and the rest of the team, it didn't matter what happened they would always find some way to believe it was their fault or that it had been in their power to stop whatever horrible thing that had happened from happening. It was the problem with heroes, they all carried the weight of the world on their shoulders and hated the thought of asking for help. The key was to identify it when it was happening so you would know it was a lie but when you can't catch yourself that's when it gets dangerous. When something hit as close to home as September did for both Cassie and Dick, it got dangerous.

"So I've been told. Anyway, you were right Boy Wonder, I had to talk to him. I'm fine now. It was just what I needed." Cassie looks back up and readjusts her backpack strap on her shoulder. Tim's face must show his disbelief that she is doing better because she insists that it's true.

"You still going to be fine on Wednesday?" Cassie's eyes change, a mixture of emotions seeping into her turquoise irises. The coming Wednesday will be the seventh, the actual anniversary of Starfire's death. The anniversary of the day Cassie watched her mom die. She opens her mouth to speak but bites her lip not finding whatever it is she wanted to say. Suddenly Tim regrets asking, the last thing he wants to do is add to her anxiety. He places a hand on her arm and smiles when she returns his gaze. "You're going to be fine Cassie." She smiles back somewhat unconvincingly.

"I know." Tim wants to hug her or do something to make her believe it but there isn't much he can think to do. She tucks a stray hair behind her ear. "So I never asked, how bad did you get it?" It's an attempt to change subjects, but it's a distraction he thinks she should have at the moment.

"Well I'm sore in places I didn't know could be sore. Intensive training with Bruce…" Tim drifts off a bit remembering the non-stop combat and tensing his sore muscles. "Honestly I kind of wish he had yelled and grounded me." Tim smiles at the small victory of making Cassie laugh.

"I guess now you know what those criminals feel like." Tim laughs, somehow he thinks that criminals get off easy compared to how he spent his Sunday. Shaking off the thought he asks Cassie the same question, "I'm grounded. Well, not exactly… my dad decided that if I need to go into the field then he'll let me go if I'm with him. Aside from that though he wasn't too explicit. I think he felt bad so he's cutting me some slack." The bell rings through the air so they move back inside the hallway.

"So does that mean you can hang after school?" Before turning the corner and leaving Tim, she shrugs saying that she doesn't see why not. "Cool, meet me out front, we'll go to the mall or someplace where we can cause trouble." The last thing he sees of her is an upturned thumb from around the corner. Tim nods to himself nervously punching his hand hoping that he will be able to distract Cassie from herself.


	10. Chapter 9

_A/N: DC Nation holds all the rights to these characters. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 9:

Monday; 5 September 2013

12:45 PM

Dick's POV:

"So you didn't ground her?" Wally raises an orange eyebrow at Dick from across the table full of Chinese food. "Really?" Dick puts his fork down and leans back in the vinyl booth a little annoyed that out of the entire story Wally asked whether or not Cassie was grounded and not how she was doing now or something more worthy of a godfather.

"She is, kind of, I mean she knows she has to clear it with me before she goes anywhere and there's no way she is going out patrolling or on a mission without me."

"Did you explicitly say any of that to her?" Dick thinks back to the day before, admittedly he hadn't spent much time detailing her punishment during their conversation. "She is pretty good at finding loop-holes, granted so are we but… Well _I'm_ not your daughter." Wally takes another smiling bite of his chow mien.

"Shut up Wally," Dick drums his fingers on the table still going over what exactly he told Cassie in his head, "I made it perfectly clear that the only way she sees any action is if she's with me."

"She's not grounded." Wally smiles a grin that makes Dick roll his eyes.

"No, I guess she's not." He hadn't had the heart to upset her after seeing all the pain she was in the day before. Sometimes he forgot how hard this time of the year was for Cassie as well and it killed him to think of her being anything but happy. "I couldn't do it." He wouldn't take away what could potentially lift her spirits, which is why he decided to let up on her leash and let her patrol within reason. Even if it only made her feel better for a few hours, it would be worth it. "You didn't see her yesterday… this year is going to be a hard one." Wally scratches the back of his head and looks at his lap for a moment before again meeting his best friend's eyes.

"Why?" It's an innocent question, one Dick asks himself frequently, but there is no good answer for it. Missing Star was something that never went away, they had just been living with it for so long that it didn't show every day. Still there were always those days when they woke up and for no reason at all it hurt so much that they couldn't put it behind them, it hung over them like a black mist dulling their lives. Then there were days when it didn't hurt and they could think on Star with happy memories and find comfort by her presence in their thoughts. Some days it wouldn't even cross their minds, in a way those days were the simplest; they could just go on. Some days were easy and some days were hard, there was no rhyme or reason about it, it just was. The same was true about September, sometimes it was easier than other years. This year it wasn't.

"It just is." Wally nods sympathetically. Dick twirls his fork absently, he wishes there was a reason that made this year harder. If there was a reason then he could find it and fix it. He could save Cassie from the heartbreak. He could protect her. But there isn't a reason, he was too late to save her, and there is no way to protect her from this. "I just wish there was something I could do. For Cassie's sake." Wally sighs and leans back in his seat some of his hair falling into his green eyes.

"You're doing a better job than you give yourself credit for." A sarcastic chuckle escapes Dick. Some parent he was, he had a teenage daughter who snuck out on at least a bi-weekly basis no matter how much he increased their home security and who was too afraid to hurt her dad to tell him she was having nightmares about the day she watched her mother die. _Call me father of the year. _Wally places his hand on the table and points at Dick's chest, "If I'm half the father to my kid that you are to Cassie, I'll be one of the best dads in the world. Cassie is lucky to have a father who loves her so much and don't doubt that she knows it." Dick puts the fork down and nods, if Wally was right about anything it was that Dick loved his daughter.

"Yeah, well your kids are going to be lucky to have you as a dad period." Wally laughs nervously making a face at his nearly empty plate. Dick waves at the waitress signaling that they want the check, "You just better hope they turn out nothing like you or you are going go nuts."

"I'm going to find out very soon." Wally looks at Dick sheepishly from just above his plate, a magnificent grin spreading over his face. Dick pulls his eyebrows together and looks at his best friend noting the nervous yet excited gleam in his eye. The suspicion takes root in Dick's mind and he starts to smile as well caught off guard by such good news.

"Are you saying…?"

"Artemis told me last night." Wally leans back in his seat again nodding slowly and starring off into space, Dick assumes he is watching the moment she told him again in his mind's eye. "We're having a baby." He laughs again his face caught somewhere between blown away with excitement and terror; Dick remembers the feeling.

"Wally that's great! Congratulations!" They clasp hands across the table neither of them able to stop smiling. Memories of Star's pregnancy and Cassie's infancy pop into Dick's mind and miraculously he doesn't find it hard to think of Star. Today is a good day. "Are you scared?"

"Terrified." Dick laughs taking the check from the waitress.

"You should be."


	11. Chapter 10

_A/N: DC Nation holds all the rights to these characters. Keep the reviews coming guys! I love hearing what you have to say!_

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Chapter 10:

Monday, 5 September 2013

6:48 PM

Cassie's POV:

It's amazing how much can be learned just by observing people. Profiling wasn't an easy thing to do but Cassie had learned from the best and she had gotten good at it, picking up on the subtle tells that gave criminals away as guilty or that identified a threat. What better use for this skill was there than sitting at the food court coffee shop going through every girl at GA trying to decide who Tim should ask to Homecoming at the end of the month?

"What about Anna? She's really sweet." Cassie takes another sip of her iced latte and watches Tim scrunch up his face.

"Anna Beltran? Plays basketball right?" Cassie nods and prepares herself for another lame excuse. "I've talked to her once. You really want me to just go ask her to Homecoming? Besides she's friends with all the rich kids, I don't want to be stuck with them all night."

"Tim you are a rich kid."

"Not like them though." Cassie rolls her eyes, even though she agrees that he isn't like the snottier rich kids at GA, he's still paying full tuition; they both are. Cassie turns her attention to the people walking through the mall hoping to discourage Tim's continued complaining. Homecoming was a big deal for him this year because it would be his last one and Cassie refused to go with him as a friend like she always did because a dance in September to her was ill-timed though she must have been the only one who had that problem. She doesn't entertain the thought much because they had come to the mall for a distraction but he keeps talking so Cassie continues to tune him out and instead observes the people walking here and there carrying shopping bags; teenagers, parents with children, elderly, all different kinds of people. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Not really." She glances at him quickly and turns back to the people, "I'm not changing my mind. Just give up." Tim grumbles something unintelligible sitting back in his plastic chair. Two children run past their table squealing and laughing, she follows their progression to a young couple who hastily tell them to quiet down and walk off toward a department store whose name Cassie doesn't bother to find out because a pair of men standing just behind where the family was catches her attention.

Their body language is off; shoulders hunched forward, heads slightly down, chests turned toward the wall they stand by rather than the open indoor courtyard, and they keep looking in every direction. They are trying too hard to go unnoticed. Her first thought is that they are petty thieves, maybe there for a drug exchange even but nothing serious. Her second thought is to go change into her uniform and wait for probable cause but she has to stop herself from reaching for her bag remembering that she can't do anything without her dad. As annoying as it is, she isn't willing to break that rule again. At least not for the duration of September while he is half crazy. It is probably easy enough that Tim could do it on his own anyway if he had to. Reluctantly she reaches behind her and grabs Tim's arm pulling him forward.

"The two guys across the courtyard; both white, black and gray shirts, See them?" He nods watching from a position which makes it look like he is just picking at the label on his drink. "Think they are trying not to get noticed?"

"Definitely." The one in the gray shirt checks his watch and shows his wrist to the other, Cassie glances at the watch on Tim's wrist, nearly 7:00 PM. Their eyes search the room coming to rest in certain places and giving brief nods. The situation changes, this is a larger threat, there are more people involved Cassie just can't see them. Tim tenses beside her sensing the same thing. They need a better view. "I think I could go for a little walk." Cassie nods and standing casually she scoops her backpack up onto her shoulder.

The best view would be from the very edge of the courtyard but they can't just walk in a circle and stare at people because it would look weird. A trashcan catches her eye halfway to the fountain at the center of the piazza and the cup in her hand starts to feel very empty, she heads toward it without a second thought, Tim following behind her. At the trashcan she throws her almost finished latte away and turns from the direction of the men she had been watching to the first place she saw the man in the black shirt nod to making like she's pointing out places they could go to Tim. He falls into the act seamlessly. Standing on the other side of the tile patio Cassie finds who she was looking for immediately. Two more men, one facing away from her and the other a sandy blonde in a black T-shirt exhibiting the same body language as the first two she had spotted. She spins as if pointing out the shoe store behind them and finds another group, this time of three men standing at the corner of the courtyard. One of them checks their watch anxiously. _What are you waiting for?_ Two more are at the last corner more jumpy and worried about time than the rest of them. Cassie lets go of her reservation to avoid combat for the sake of her dad, whatever is going to go down, is about to happen.

"They aren't standing by anything valuable." Tim directs her attention to a directory a few feet to the left and they move closer to it keeping up the act. "A payless, a used book store, a candy shop, and a diner. Those can't be their targets." Cassie takes a quick glance at the map, there are jewelry stores down each hallway, maybe they plan to hit all three at once. A nervous feeling spreads through her, they wouldn't be so spread out if they didn't have a plan. Standing well into the square she begins to feel exposed. She nudges Tim and points in the direction of the first two they had spotted deciding she would rather try a different vantage point. Tim starts fishing through his backpack for something, hopefully his communicator, and Cassie watches the two suspects do another round of nods and then the gray shirted one pulls out a small black rectangle from his pocket. It dawns on her, why they were standing so far from the center, why they were checking time so often, she looks behind her and only has enough time to shove Tim to the side before the bomb goes off inside the fountain, the men move down the hall away from the square, and the mall erupts in screaming.

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_A/N: Warning - I like cliff hangers. Sorry._


	12. Chapter 11

_A/N: I don't own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. I've been getting some questions about time line so I've decided just to answer here, I'm aware that based on the comics Tim wouldn't be around in 2013 and Dick would be much younger but I'm not going by that because of my previous story. I never intended to write a sequel so I didn't plan a time line well and decided it was more important to keep this story monogamous with its prequel. Hopefully you guys understand and don't mind too much. Thanks for reading and reviewing I love hearing what you have to say ;)_

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Chapter 11:

Monday, 5 September 2013

7:02 PM

Tim's POV:

There is a moment once you get surprised on a case, a moment that determines the rest of the mission. You are stunned. How fast you snap out of that upset though is what makes or breaks it. It's all about reaction time. How long it takes you to get your head back in the training and thinking clearly. Tim opens his eyes and squints up at the white ceiling of the mall, up above all the lighting fixtures have doubled and there is an orange glow emanating from his right side. He blinks up at the roof eliminating the extra images, sounds beginning to come in clearer, there is screaming lots of screaming and a loud whooshing sounds. _Mall… bomb… right… where did those guys go? _Tim sits up quickly ignoring a pain in his elbow. Around him people run for the exit as a large wall of flickering flame creeps closer to the doors. _Crap, mall means people… got to get them…_ His gaze travels over the coffee shop where he had been talking to Cassie before all hell broke loose, an entire wall is caved in from the shock of the explosion. _Oh my God! Cassie_! He is on his feet quickly and spinning around looking for her but she is not in his line of vision. "Cassie! Cassie Grayson!" She had shoved him down and away, she had to be right next to him when the thing went off. _Don't be dead! Please don't be dead…_ Tim searches around him looking for any sign of her knowing he can't look forever, there are people to save and unidentified suspects to apprehend. Cassie comes out from behind a fallen pillar, dust coating her clothing, a bleeding cut above her elbow where her blazer is ripped, backpack still over her shoulder, and a crying child just as dusty though apparently uninjured gripping her hand. Tim breathes a sigh of relief and jogs up to meet them conscious of the little time they have to do something.

"You okay?" He inspects her quickly finding only a few scratches on the side of her face and some rips in her clothes, if she's injured it isn't visible. He then looks at the child, a young boy probably no older than six, his blonde hair and face paler with dust from the destroyed concrete and granite structures, blue shirt dirty, chocolate colored eyes obscured by tears, and his arm is bent at an awkward angle, he needs a doctor.

"Fine, you?" Her eyes search him quickly finding little to raise major concern. "There are people back there trapped behind debris and that fire is spreading, I have to get them out." She looks down at the crying child starring around him in horror. "It's going to be okay honey." Cassie reaches down and picks him up rubbing his back soothingly. "You've got your bag right?" Tim looks behind him at the spot he had been blown to his backpack peeking out from beneath what looks like a piece of the fountain and nods. "Do what you have to, I'll get everyone out." She starts to turn back trying to calm the child more fervently because now he is crying and screaming for his mom.

"You sure you've got it covered?" The civilians are the priority and if they have to make the choice between saving the people and catching the culprits the people win.

"You're wasting time! Go!" With that Cassie vanishes again behind the pillar and a wall of slow moving flames and Tim snatches his bag. He runs into the nearest empty store, severs the security camera wires, and changes into his uniform as fast as possible, which for him is nearly ten seconds, then ditches his backpack outside in case someone should find it. In uniform and putting his faith in Cassie's ability to get the people to safety before everything burns to the ground he runs in the opposite direction down the hall in pursuit of his targets.

It isn't hard to locate them, the closest jewelry store is ablaze in red flashing light, sirens screaming at their presence. He stops just outside the window to the store not yet wanting to be seen. Inside are the first two men Cassie had pointed out to him, both look to be about mid-thirties, probably experienced, the one in the gray shirt holds a knife which he uses to break the glass cases and scoop the precious materials into a burlap sack and the one in black stands over the cash register, apparently unarmed though he could be hiding a weapon somewhere on his person. With seven more criminals somewhere on the grounds Robin decides it would be best to get this done quickly. Minimal fight and no banter; just capture them and move on. He steps quickly in front of the door way and shoots a bird-a-rang at the one at the register, better to have the unknown threat out of the way and then deal with the one with the knife. Cord wraps around him and he stumbles backwards losing his balance and falling to the ground with a yelp. The gray shirted one recovers quickly from the surprise and charges with the knife but Robin is ready and pushes his knife away with a well-placed block using the assailant's momentum against him, spinning him around and slamming his head into a glass case with enough force to shatter the top. He is knocked out cold and Robin handcuffs him before allowing him to slump to the ground. With a final check to make sure the one tied up isn't going anywhere Robin leaves and hightails it to another hallway assuming that the other criminals will be pulling similar heists in the other jewelry stores. There is a beeping in his ear, someone calling on his communicator, he reaches up to his ear gently pushing the button expecting it to be Cassie telling him that all of the people are out.

"Situation?" Somehow he isn't surprised to hear Batman's deep tone on the other end of the line.

"Bomb went off in the courtyard at the East End Mall. Casualties and injuries unknown. Suspected jewelry heist, looks like they are attacking all of the major jewelry stores here, the bomb was just a distraction, a good distraction, but a distraction. Sparrow is getting the people clear of the building, and I'm pursuing the targets. Two are contained, seven more are suspected to be at large." Robin spots the next jewelry store, lights flashing and alarms blaring,

"On my way."

"Take the South and East corridor, I'm about to take care of the West." The line disconnects and Robin, lacking anywhere to take inventory outside, charges into the store. Inside he finds only one thief, blonde haired and beefy, but not very hard to beat.


	13. Chapter 12

_A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews guys! Keep them coming! These characters are the property of DC Nation._

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Chapter 12:

Monday, 5 September 2013

7:37 PM

Cassie's POV:

Disaster's happen and people fall into two categories; those who panic and those who don't. Whether they panic or go into shock afterwards is redundant. In short-lived disasters like earthquakes, crashes, or explosions all that matters are those first thirty minutes to get out of immediate danger. If someone panics during that time it makes them very hard to save. Cassie is down to getting the last few people out of the building with no time to lose. The fire continues to spread and their escape route is almost entirely consumed by the flames, in a few minutes they will be stuck. Smoke stings her eyes and burns her throat terribly but Cassie forces herself to breathe, these are the last people in here and she is going to save them. There are only three, a little girl, the man whose leg she clings too, most likely her father, and a young woman screaming and crying on the ground. Cassie coughs and looks back at the wall of fire creeping up on their way out.

"Please, we have to go now!" Cassie crouches in front of the girl, her ankle protesting against the weight. The woman's blonde hair is gray with soot and her face is streaked in lines from tears, terror clear in her big brown eyes. "Can you stand up?" No response. More crying. Muffled screaming. Cassie looks her over finding a large burn on her upper thigh, it had gone through her jeans and looked as if it is starting to blister. _Crap! She's going to need help walking_. Time is running thin Cassie has to find some way to get through to this woman. She grips her shoulders looking her in the eye. "I need you to calm down. Okay? What's your name?"

"Her name is Rebecca." The man speaks, his voice is hoarse from smoke inhalation. "She's my wife." Cassie looks at him and motions toward the little girl burying her face in his leg, "Our daughter, Julia. She won't leave without her mom." _Daughter, great, I can work with that._ Cassie turns back to Rebecca who has her head in her hands sobbing uncontrollably.

"Rebecca, hey, do you think you can look at me for a second?" Slowly she raises her head and looks at Cassie through squinted crying eyes, "That's it. Alright Rebecca, my name is Cassie, see that little girl?" Cassie throws her head in Julia's direction and thankfully Rebecca's eyes follow the motion.

"Julia… my… m… my baby…" Rebecca half screams through her tears, "I… want… wa… my baby! I w… want… oh God!"

"Yeah that's Julia! She's your baby, right?" Cassie tries to keep her voice positive for Rebecca's sake but their window for escape is closing fast. Things keep falling from the ceiling. "You want your baby to be safe right?" Rebecca cries even harder, her husband starts coughing violently, Cassie herself is starting to feel lightheaded without sufficient oxygen. "Of course you do! Julia won't leave if you don't so I really need you to get up okay?"

"Where… wh… my baby… I want my baby!" _This isn't working._ There is a loud snap overhead and a large piece of the ceiling falls down into the fire now only a few feet from them. They have to go now. "My baby! I want my baby!" Cassie realizes the only way she is getting Rebecca out is if she drags her out. She turns to the husband.

"Grab your daughter and run. Follow the wall of the fire about twenty feet, there is going to be a break in it, you sprint through it and out of this building as fast as you can, do you understand?" He bends down and picks up his child who has just begun to cry her hands wrapping tightly around her father's neck.

"But…" He hesitates before taking a step. "I can't leave her…" Cassie turns on him, her eyes a deep blue in the smoke, and her tone unchallengeable.

"Go! I'll get her out, just go!" He runs and Cassie hopes that she can get both Rebecca and herself out in time. There's no more time to reason with her now Rebecca is going to be dragged out whether she likes it or not. Cassie sticks her hands beneath the young mother's armpits and pulls up but is surprised by the nails that go for her face and has to put her back down.

"No! My baby! Can't… I… can't…" Cassie tries to tell her that Julia is already outside but it only makes her cry harder. "Not… not Julia." Rebecca gasps, sucking for air, Cassie's lungs are having the same problem. "Pe… Peter! My baby! Only… only five. He must… be… s… so scared. My baby! I want my baby!" _No! There's another one?_ Cassie looks around frantically then stops and does a double take of the mother; blonde hair, brown eyes, light skin, relatively young looking. She is the mother from the young couple she had been watching before all of this happened. The little boy she saved earlier and brought with her to Tim had been the little boy whom she had watched run around. _This is his mom!_ Cassie smiles, the movement cracking her dry lips.

"Your son, he has blond hair?" Rebecca nods tears still coming down her cheeks, "Big brown puppy dog eyes? Was he wearing a light blue shirt and light up sneakers?" She nods fervently her eyes getting bigger filling with hope and apprehension probably thinking both the best and the worst. Cassie laughs happily but it turns into a cough. "He was the first person I found!" Rebecca leans forward hope overtaking her face. "I found him right at the beginning. He's outside already, I left him with a security guard outside. He's fine!" She starts crying again but this time she smiles while she does and Cassie smiles back. "Let me bring you to him. C'mon, we have to go!" Rebecca lets Cassie help her stand and hobble quickly to the opening in the wall of fire. Miraculously the opening is just large enough for them to slip through one at a time and they both suck greedily at the oxygen in the air once they make it outside.


	14. Chapter 13

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Enjoy and review! thanks!_

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Chapter 13:

Monday, 5 September 2013

7:57 PM

Dick's POV:

The air is filled with coughing, crying, and the stench of smoke. Dick half jogs from ambulance to ambulance scanning the groups of paramedics and patients here and there. People are everywhere, whole families clinging together, teenagers in shock, other adults looking lost, but no Cassie, or Sparrow for that matter. He isn't sure exactly who he expects to find, who he wants to find; Cassie sitting on the sidelines or Sparrow inside finding the people who did this. On one hand she would be following his orders, but on the other hand she would be forsaking everything she stood for and believed in. Dick shakes off the thought, it didn't matter whether she was in uniform or not, he just wants to know she hasn't been trapped inside or blown up with the explosion. The ambulances are arranged in a haphazard circle with tarps spread in the middle acting as a holding area for patients who had already been examined and deemed non-critical, all critical patients were sent immediately to Gotham General. Dick starts to panic thinking he should have gone to the hospital, what if she was blown up? He puts his hands on his head and tries not to hyperventilate, the worst thing to do in a crisis is panic. Looking around him he notices a girl sitting on the back of an ambulance, covered in soot, her clothes torn and filthy, arguing with the paramedic trying to examine her arm. Dick sighs heavily and runs over to them.

"I'm fine. I can get stitched up later. There are people that need more help than I do." Even though her breathing is a bit short her voice is determined and Cassie pulls her arm out of the paramedic's grasp. Cassie makes to point out all of the non-critical patients a few feet away and catches sight of Dick in the process, her eyes go wide. "Dad?" The paramedic, a tall slender women with dark skin and curly black hair piled into a bun turns and sees him.

"You're her father?" Dick mumbles a yes directing his full attention to making his own examination of Cassie. Seeing her alive Dick feels relief he couldn't have imagined possible but there is still the possibility of serious injury. Cassie protests between some coughs as he looks her over, her hair is dusty and falling from its braid, soot has streaked her face and clothes, a couple scrapes line her cheek, and he stops at the bloody tear in the sleeve of her blazer. He pulls back the fabric to reveal a large cut above her elbow, blood trickling from it, an injury worthy of stitches no doubt. "She's refusing treatment…" The paramedic speaks up behind him her tone annoyed then steps around him and puts an oxygen mask up to Cassie's face, "Will you stop taking this off!" Dick gives Cassie a warning look telling her to do as she's told and Cassie replaces the paramedic's hand with her own holding the mask over her nose and mouth.

"That does need stitches." Cassie rolls her eyes at his comment and uses the hand holding the mask to her face to point at the people sitting on the tarps.

"Some of them need skin grafts." Without the oxygen mask she coughs a little and Dick rips if out of her hand holding it to her face himself. She doesn't look too happy about it but she doesn't push his hand away. The paramedic stands off to the side waiting for someone to tell her what to do. Dick looks at the gash again and decides it won't kill her and can wait to be sewn up at the Cave. The coughing and wheezing however concern him.

"Did you check her throat?" The paramedic explains that Cassie should be on oxygen for a while but she won't need to be intubated if she stops taking off the mask. Dick sighs touching Cassie's cheek and wiping away some of the soot, "I'll take her to go get stitched up when she's breathing better." Dick looks back at the paramedic who gives him an incredulous stare.

"Alright fine." The paramedic grabs her medical kit and turns to head in the direction of the tarp, "Just don't go anywhere and keep her on the oxygen until the coughing fits stop." Dick nods and she goes to help some of the people waiting for their own stitches and bandages on the tarp.

"I swear we didn't know this was going to happen when we decided to come here." Cassie looks up at him her voice muffled by the plastic mask. He notices she is still in her school uniform, it's dirty and torn in places, but it is her school uniform. Dick doesn't know whether or not to be happy that she didn't put on her Sparrow uniform. Had she, he isn't sure he could really blame her for it, after all, the trouble had come to her and there wasn't much she could do other than try to stop it. Before Dick can decide how he feels about that however, Commissioner Gordon walks up beside them his glasses propped up on his nose and his hands in the pockets of his trench coat. Cassie smiles at him, having known him for years because he is Barbara's father and a family friend.

"I don't know whether to call you incredibly brave or incredibly stupid." He eyes Cassie mischievously from behind his black frames. "So I'll just settle for very lucky." Cassie laughs a little, eyes Dick nervously, and tries to scoot back a little from him and the oxygen mask. Dick gives her another warning look and she moves back where he keeps the mask pressed to her face.

"Why is she so lucky?" Dick tears his eyes from Cassie and looks at Gordon.

"According to that security guard over there, Cassie here brought a little boy out soon after the initial explosion and then ran back in…" Dick's eyes go wide and he turns back to Cassie who, avoiding his gaze, watches her breathe fog up the mask. "She saved a lot of people today." Dick's conflicted feelings perk back up; she hadn't exactly broken his rules but she had done what he was trying to keep her from doing; put herself in danger. "You should be proud." Dick stares down at Cassie for a while knowing that it would have been impossible for her to just sit there and watch people suffer.

"I am." Cassie looks up, her turquoise eyes narrowed in surprise and disbelief. Dick touches her cheek again and nods. With that settled Gordon explains that he needs a statement from Cassie about what she saw and Dick pays close attention knowing that he will likely be investigating as well.


	15. Chapter 14

_A/N: I don't own these characters, they belong to DC Nation. Hope you guys are enjoying! Reviews, as always, are most welcome!_

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Chapter 14:

Tuesday, 6 September 2013

9:20 PM

Cassie's POV:

The aftermath of the explosion could have been worse. Thankfully, no one died but nearly forty people were seriously injured and there were $300 million dollars in property damage – the building couldn't be saved. The case itself was pretty cut and dry; a crew for hire had the plan already made up for them by their employer, all they had to do was execute it and they would each receive a share of the jewels from the heists. The bomb was meant to draw the people out and distract authorities. By the time the police noticed the stores had been robbed they were meant to be long gone. They hadn't planned on two superheroes being there though and all but one was captured in the end. The one Cassie had only seen the back of had gotten away and the more they looked into it the stranger he seemed.

"Are you sure you didn't just miss him?" Cassie leans back in her chair staring up at the last few seconds of mall security footage on the Cave's supercomputer.

"Of course I didn't just miss him!" Tim rewinds the video and plays it back again. Neither of them had gone to school, instead they had been at the Cave running their own investigation even though they weren't on point for the case. Cassie picks at the edge of the bandaging just above her elbow trying to keep herself from scratching and tries to think of some other reason Tim wouldn't have seen a six-foot giant in an otherwise deserted jewelry store.

"He didn't." The two of them both sit up straighter at the sound of Batman's low voice and Tim moves aside so he can get to the computer. "Gordon gave me some one on one time with this one." A picture of the man with sandy blonde hair pops up on screen.

"He's the one who was standing with the guy that got away." Cassie looks at his picture, it's a mug shot, likely a few years old, and he doesn't seem very concerned that he is about to be booked and put away.

"Name is Tommy Blane." Cassie turns at the sound of her father's voice, then back to the picture, "He's been put away for several minor altercations, seems to be a gun for fire like the rest of them, though this would be the biggest job he's worked." Batman minimizes the picture and drags it to the side of the screen opening the security video Tim had been scrutinizing earlier.

"The one we lost," He zooms in on a screen shot of the tall dark-haired man facing away from the camera, "According to Mr. Blane, took off running as soon as the bomb blew." Tim leans forward on the console, the light from the screen casting an odd glow to the bruise on his jaw where one of the thieves managed to elbow him.

"He chickened out and ran?" Cassie exchanges a look with him, it doesn't make sense to her either. "Whoever hired them had to be sure they wouldn't ditch the job last minute. This was all about timing. It had to be perfect."

"Our mystery man_ is_ who hired them." There's a collective sound of disbelief from Tim and Cassie. "Everyone in custody confirmed it." Tim begins to question the credibility of eight criminals, what reason did they have to tell the truth? It could just be a scape goat. "Not many people can lie to The Batman, and those who _can_ find themselves in a world of hurt soon thereafter."

"Besides what reason would they have to protect a leader who ran out on them?" Cassie looks back at the screen shot still finding nothing to help identify him. "Their only means of revenge is to sell him out."

"Yes." Bruce pulls off his cowell and looks down at her sitting in the chair for a moment. "But he couldn't tell us much. He hired them all with a plan already in mind, kept his face hidden either behind a hat, hood, or large sunglasses whenever they met claiming that if their plans went South he didn't want anyone to be able to identify him." Cassie looks back to the picture, slightly impressed, working with the people he hired he managed to still keep his identity hidden that wasn't easy to do. The rest of the group may have been amateurs and pawns but this guy wasn't. Whoever he was, he was good. Both Tim and her dad remain quiet probably just as impressed and a little unnerved as she is, her stitches start to itch again and she picks at the bandaging. They all stare at the security camera footage of his back until Cassie speaks up.

"If he ran as soon as the bomb went off though that means he has to be on a security camera exiting the building. We can find him." Part of her is surprised nobody thought of it before.

"I know." Bruce places his hands over the console, "Tim and I will do it. This doesn't require all four of us." Tim looks as surprised as Cassie feels but Bruce keeps his eyes fixed on the screen pulling up the security footage from the exits of the mall. Cassie starts to explain that with all four of them it will go faster but is cut off by a hand on her shoulder, she turns and looks up at her dad's somewhat dejected face.

"We shouldn't be working a case right now." He stops, his eyes icy and sad. "We have to go to Jump City tomorrow it's…" Cassie blinks and feels her expression fall into something to match his own. The explosion and case had been exactly what she wanted; a distraction, and she had forgotten. Tomorrow is the seventh, tomorrow like always they will go to the cemetery. "It's just not good timing." Even if Cassie didn't hate the month as much as her dad did, September seventh she could honestly say she dreaded and hated every single year.


	16. Chapter 15

_A/N: These characters are not mine, they belong to DC Nation. Read and review! You guys are awesome!_

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Chapter 15:

Wednesday, 7 September 2013

12:17 PM

Dick's POV:

It's always hard to return to a place where you knew you had once been happy. Somewhere you had lost it all. That's how it felt coming back to Titan's Tower this morning. They visited multiple times during the year and it was always great to be back but today made it hard to return, Titan's Tower was Star's home too. Her old bedroom was even still around the corner and down the hall from his. As hard as it was to go back to Titan's Tower after visiting Star's grave it was something they had to do. After a morning of holding a crying and angry Cassie, standing over Star's cold grave, and tearing himself up he needed his friends to make him laugh just as much as she did. Cyborg claps him on the back while Cassie hugs the rest of the team, now including Beast Boy, Raven, and Bumble Bee.

"I feel like every time I see you you're taller!" Bee hugs Cassie smiling.

"Nope, same height as when you saw me last month." Cassie shrugs her green hood bouncing between her shoulder blades. Bee waves her hand dismissing the remark.

"It's probably because it's been so long."

"Still think you can beat me at Monster Monkeyz 7? I unlocked a new power key." BB throws his thumb over his shoulder pointing at the sofa. Cassie turns to face him and Dick sees a half smile tugging at her mouth, part of him seems to relax seeing proof that Titan's Tower really is the best place for her to be.

"I beat you last time didn't I?" BB makes an unimpressed face and shrugs saying something about beginner's luck, Cassie narrows her eyes at him. "You're on Green Bean." She follows him to the sofa followed by Bee who sits on the edge of the sofa to watch their game while Dick watches the backs of their heads thinking about how the sweater Cassie wears makes her eyes look green like her mother's.

"Earth to Nightwing…" Cyborg waves a metal hang in front of his face.

"What…?" He looks away from the scene in the living room and turns back to Cyborg who seems to be waiting for an answer. "Oh… sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you had a long night, you look beat." Cyborg starts to walk toward the kitchen looking back to make sure Dick is following. Dick waits until they are in the kitchen and the only other person within earshot if he speaks quietly is Raven making tea at the counter.

"Yeah, Cassie started the nightmares again last week…" He glances quickly in her direction glad to see she is getting invested in the video game and preparing to destroy BB's hopes of victory. Competition is always a good distraction. "She woke up screaming last night around one and, well, neither of us could fall back asleep so we ended up watching movies until we left this morning." In retrospect sitting up with her wasn't a bad thing, they watched comedies and old television shows that kept their spirits up. It made the dread of dawn more bearable. Thinking back on it, Dick sees it like a light in the darkness, something fun in the midst of a time that was otherwise horrible. Cyborg starts a pot of coffee and the smell of caffeine tickles Dick's nostrils.

"She'll be alright." Raven stirs her tea thoughtfully and then cringes when Cassie laughs at BB's screams of agony. Dick looks up finding a pulsing 'you lose' sign over his side of the screen. "I mean can you hear that?" Her voice is relatively monotone as it often is but her eyes speak of certainty that it's true. Dick smiles and nods. "You will be too." She takes a sip of her tea raising her eyebrows at him.

"I know Ray." The coffee pot stops gurgling and Cyborg pours two steaming cups setting one in front of Dick. Nothing has changed much in the Tower so Dick has no trouble finding his cream and sugar, walking around the kitchen so naturally he can almost imagine he has traveled back into the past and if he turned around he would find Cyborg and BB duking it out in some video game, Raven levitating near the door with a book, and Starfire watching it all in fascination. When he turns however, he finds Bee instead of Starfire watching Cassie play against BB and Cyborg and Raven in the kitchen waiting for him to come back to their conversation.

"So is anybody willing to put money on BB to win?" Cyborg asks taking a sip of his coffee and watching the video game progress. Dick snorts at the joke.

"I'll put money on him to lose." With that they move on to lighter topics. Recounting funny stories about each other's teams, interesting cases they'd had recently, and making fun of BB as Cassie continually kicks his butt at Monster Monkeyz 7. After about an hour BB gets tired of losing and they head out for pizza. Of course there are the stories about Star that pop up but they aren't sad stories, just happy memories that leave them with a melancholy feeling rather than tears.


	17. Chapter 16

_A/N: These characters belong to DC Nation! Getting some mystery in here! Thanks for all the feedback! Keep it coming!_

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Chapter 16:

Thursday, 8 September 2013

3:28 PM

Cassie's POV:

Disasters always leave destruction, tragedy, and celebrities in their wake and the last thing Cassie wanted to be was a celebrity. Everyone wanted to know where they had been when it blew, how they had been separated, were their injuries bad, did they see Batman and Robin, or, more importantly, had they seen the villain. Rumors about the villain behind it were running wild. It was the Riddler. No, it was Black Mask. No, it had to be the Joker. Cassie hadn't slept well for the last two days because of nightmares and trying to keep up the act around school that she was alright was starting to exhaust her. If there was anything she wanted to talk about less with the people at school than the explosion it was her mom. When the final bell rang Cassie was relieved to be free and grateful that no one bothered the two of them walking to Tim's car in the school parking lot.

"They're like vultures." Cassie follows Tim's gaze to a group of students standing across the lot by an expensive silver car looking at them and whispering.

"And this is why we wear masks." Cassie stares back until they realize she has them made and avert their eyes again, gossipers always did scare easily "Well one of the reasons at least." They reach Tim's car, a sleek black Impala, Tim could have had any fancy car he wanted but he wasn't a sports car kind of guy, so he suffered the dissenting looks of the GA rich kids and stuck to his Chevy happily.

"You look like you need something fun." He pulls out his keys and jingles them in his hand looking down at her. Cassie considers what he has planned, probably a trip to the pier or downtown for an hour or two. Such excursions are always fun, but today Cassie isn't feeling the desire to do anything other than go home and give her emotions a break.

"Actually, a nap sounds good for once." Tim holds the passenger side door open for her.

"Well I was thinking we could look into that bombing some more, but if you're too tired…" He shrugs, "I can always take you home instead." As exhausted as she is from the inner struggle of the past couple of days the promise of a case makes her wake up.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Cassie hops into the seat and they head out of the parking lot. In the car Cassie discovers she is more tired than she had previously believed, there isn't much talking and her eyes begin to feel heavy with sleep. Walking into Wayne Manor twenty minutes later she fights a yawn trying to split her lips.

"Master Tim," They run into Alfred in the foyer where he cleans a large portrait of Bruce's parents, he stands up straighter at their entrance. "Miss Cassandra, I didn't know we were expecting you." He smiles at her despite his surprise.

"Kind of a spur of the moment invitation." Tim throws his arm over Cassie's shoulder, "We won't cause any trouble don't worry."

"Somehow I don't find your assurances very comforting." Alfred turns back toward his cleaning and Tim herds Cassie toward the Bat Cave. Bruce must not be home because when they enter the place is deserted of everything other than Bruce's keepsakes and various toys. Without a second glance Tim sits down in front of the supercomputer's console and begins pulling up several videos from the mall security files; each a different perspective on the same disaster.

"We found him again on three other cameras…" Three media viewers pop open on the screen playing through on their own over and over again. In each angle there is no clear view of his face still, their mysterious villain remains a mystery with his head angled away from the cameras or hidden in the shadow of some structure to obscure his features.

"He knew where the cameras were." Cassie takes in the videos noticing the way he moves; agile and confident. He was good and he knew it. Tracking this one down wouldn't be easy, there was next to no information to go on other than his height and approximate weight and even that was hardly helpful.

"Yeah and look," Tim points to the video on the far left taken from a security camera located inside the food court, "This is right after it blows, he just runs like we expected. Chickened out and is trying to save himself but look at the next video." Cassie looks at the next screen, the man hides behind a fallen structure, his upper half obscured in its shadow and protected from the camera, and he stops and waits there for thirteen seconds. "He's looking for something." Cassie looks at the next screen showing the back of him running out of the doors to safety.

"Ulterior motive?" Cassie leans back on her heel folding her arms over her chest, the bandage tugging at her skin. "So he stages a jewelry heist complete with explosives to just what…" She reaches out and pauses the middle video while the man is still hidden in the shadows, "Look at something? The next camera catches him leaving without even a second's separation." Tim leans back in his chair and up at her his bruised jawline dark purple in the dim light of the Cave. Cassie considers the video again. "Wait, I was right there! I was on the other side of that structure, not in range of the camera but…" She searches her memories remembering two pre-teens cowering behind a planter. "Yeah there were two kids back there, I got them out."

"Was there anything else over there?" Tim sits up his detective's mind picking up a source of possible information. Cassie shakes her head automatically, there was nothing valuable over there. Tim had said it himself.

"No, nothing… just people trying to get out." Cassie's eyes search the still shot unable to understand how she missed him. "I must have walked right by him." She meets his eyes registering a layer of something she can't name over their blue and turns back to the still shot_. I walked right by him. How did I miss him… Who is this guy?_


	18. Chapter 17

_A/N: These characters do not belong to me, they are the property of DC Nation. Getting down to the meat you guys! Thanks for sticking with it! Reviews are most welcome!_

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Chapter 17:

Friday, 9 September 2013

3:26 AM

Dick's POV:

Having been a hero for so long Dick had trained his senses to pick up the smallest changes in his surroundings humanly possible for him to detect, sometimes even inhumanely possible. His senses had to be that tuned into his surroundings. The faint click of a gun, the smell of a gas, the glint of a needle, if he couldn't pick up on any of these things it could cost him his life and probably many other people theirs as well. With his ears so accustomed to picking out the barely audible, the screams and loud banging that followed easily jar him from sleep. He tears out of bed and down the short hallway, bursts through Cassie's door, flips the light switch, and panics when he notices that the bed is empty. There is another loud snap and the nightstand on the other side of the bed collapses. The top of Cassie's head comes into focus, just peeking over the edge of her mattress.

"Cassie?" On the other side of the bed Dick finds Cassie on the floor sitting in the fallen sheets, her back against the bed, head on her knees, arms wrapped around her middle, and her black hair falling all around her. It isn't hard to figure out what happened; a nightmare. He tucks some hair behind her hear trying to see her face but she flinches away from his touch. Dick tries not to take it personally, it's just the latent reflexes from the nightmare acting. "It was just a dream, it's over Cassie. Try to relax." He sits down Indian-style reaching to rub her shoulders, the nightstand catches his eye. The whole thing has fallen forward and everything off the top has fallen to the floor, one of the legs has been broken clean off and left a splintered stub. "Did you break the nightstand?" Cassie looks up at the fallen furniture and speaks matter-of-factly.

"I kicked it."

"Did it make you feel better?"

"Not really." She wipes a tear from her eye. Dick knows Cassie and these are not just tears of sadness and pain, she's angry. So angry it's boiling beneath her skin, in the set of her jaw and hard unfocused gaze.

"Want to talk to me about it?" She bits her lip and shakes her head. Dick waits.

"It's not just the nightmare." Her eyes are bright with anger, pain, and turmoil. "I need the action because it makes me feel worth something. It's what I'm good at." Dick almost interjects but decides it is best to keep her talking so instead he continues to rub small circles in her back. "I'm prepared. I know what to do, what to look for, how to react… I know what I'm doing. But that damn explosion…" She shakes her head and looks back toward the nightstand, a gleam in her eye like she is going to kick it again, "I should have seen him."

"No, Cassie you were getting people out. You were distracted I doubt-"

"No!" Her eyes start to water a bit, Dick wants to hug her or do something to keep her from hating herself because he knows that is where she is headed. "I'm better than that. How did I miss him?" She swats at the air in frustration, the bandages over her stitches catch Dick's eye; a bright red spot forming on them; they must have ruptured when she fell out of bed. She turns to face him, a single tear dripping over her cheek. "I have to be better than that." Something inside her tone sounds as if she might break, the thing she clings to for stability when all else fails now making her question her very being. Dick holds her face in his hands, wiping away the tear with his thumb.

"I want you to listen to me, you did nothing wrong." She tries to turn away but Dick holds her in place, "You got the people out."

Friday, 9 September 2013

11:50 AM

Dick's POV:

Dick didn't have any meetings at Wayne Enterprises today so he decided to work from home where he could take his time and think about the night before with Cassie. Wally called near noon and pulled him from his reflections.

"So Artemis is officially 3 months along, we were thinking it's time to tell Barbara, M'Ghan, Connor and everybody, assuming you didn't tell them like I asked." Even through a phone channel Dick can hear the excitement.

"Of course I didn't tell them." Dick leans back in his office chair feeling some of Wally's happiness leak through the phone, "That's great Wally."

"Yeah, we are looking forward to seeing everyone's faces. Although I think Artemis is kind of scared of M'Ghan… she's not really a hugger." Dick laughs at the image of Artemis forced into the world's longest hug. "You think Cassie will be excited?"

"Are you kidding? She'll be ecstatic." Dick falls silent remembering the night before. "I'm glad you guys picked now, she needs something to be ecstatic about."

"Well I'll do anything to cheer up my favorite god-daughter." After a few minutes of small talk Dick excuses himself claiming he has to get back to work and goes to repair Cassie's nightstand.


	19. Chapter 18

_A/N: I would love to hear what you guys think of this chapter so review like you've never reviewed before! Enjoy_

_Once again, these characters are the property of DC Nation and not myself._

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Chapter 18:

Friday, 9 September 2013

8:53 PM

Cassie's POV:

Cassie isn't sure how long she's been running, definitely longer than an hour, but she isn't ready to stop. Her breathing is heavy and the chilled autumn air cools the sweat on her skin. All day she hadn't been able to shake the thought that if she had been more aware they wouldn't have a missing criminal on their hands. The rational part of her knows she is being too hard on herself, there was no way she could have known the mastermind behind the crime was mere feet from where she had been corralling civilians. The irrational part of her mind put up a decent fight though and the war had been driving her crazy – so she ran. Running is steady and even unlike her thoughts. Her heart beats to a fast rhythm and her feet clap against the floor predictably providing a steady flow to keep her mind moving on a single track. It wasn't unheard of to lose a criminal. It had happened before and would happen again. Still, that didn't make Cassie any less angry with herself. The back pocket of her running pants begins to vibrate pulling her from her thoughts, she pulls out her cell phone Tim's smiling face on its screen, and pauses her iPod.

"Where are you? I called your house." Cassie slows to a stop at a street corner her legs tingling from exertion.

"Well hello to you too…" Tim mumbles and apology and asks his question again. "I went running, I'm downtown." She looks down the street recognizing the buildings around GA. "I'm actually around the corner from school."

"Did you forget? You did, didn't you?" Cassie looks down at her gray running shoes not sure what he's talking about. "Wally asked everyone to be at the Cave by 9:30 tonight, remember?" Cassie closes her eyes and palms her own forehead.

"Crap! What time is it?" She looks at the screen of her phone before Tim can tell her, 8:56 PM. She groans and puts the phone back to her ear starting to walk towards home. "I've got to run back home, I'll zeta from there. I'll see you-"

"I'm coming from downtown, I wanted to use the zeta at your place I'll just come pick you up. Go to school I'll meet you there in like 10 minutes, okay?"

"See you in a few." After she hangs up Cassie presses play again on her iPod leaving the right headphone dangling and walks around the corner to the front gate of Gotham Academy. This late at night the school is nearly deserted, the lights are still on for janitors and late running clubs and activities. Cassie takes a spot in the middle of the side walk just as a pair of headlights turns the corner and pulls up to the sidewalk. At first Cassie thinks its Tim and is surprised by how fast he made it but when the lights go out she sees the car isn't an Impala, it's a blue Corolla and a young woman steps out of the driver's side door.

"Cassie? Hi." The girl steps around the car and walks up to Cassie. She recognizes her immediately; mousy brown hair braided down her back, honey colored eyes, a green GA Theater sweater, and jeans - Leslie Thompkins, the only person at school who she considers to be a real friend. The only other person at school who she talked about her mom with, minus the superhero details of course.

"Hey." Leslie hugs her. "Sorry, I'm all sweaty and gross." Leslie smiles and waves it off.

"What are you doing here?" She tucks her hands inside her sweater pocket and looks Cassie over, "Did you run here? You live so far!" Cassie smiles and shrugs.

"I like exercise, what can I say?"

"And you have to go all the way back home," Leslie motions toward her car. "I'm just grabbing a textbook I forgot out of my locker, I can give you a ride if you want."

"Oh no it's okay, Tim's actually coming to pick me up. He'll be here soon." Leslie doesn't look very surprised by the information and sticks her hand back in her pocket beginning to walk toward the school entrance.

"If you say so. I'll text you later, we'll go get coffee or something." Leslie walks into the school leaving Cassie alone again. She checks the time, it's already passed 9:10 and Tim is late.

A few minutes later Leslie's is still the only car on the street and Cassie considers taking Leslie up on her offer. Then she thinks something moves in her peripheral vision and whips her head to the right looking at the corner of the block. It's just an empty street corner. _Stop it, you're seeing things that aren't there._ There's a faint creak from behind her, she spins to face the gate. There is still no one there but her heart rate starts to pick up. She pulls the headphone from her ear feeling uncomfortable with her hearing impeded and tucks her iPod into her back pocket. Just as she decides there really is nothing she hears a tapping from somewhere inside the gate. The metallic sound leads her to a broken sprinkler trying to water the grass sans the water. Cassie exhales and shakes her head her body relaxing after discovering the only thing being threatened is the grass. She pushes back her sweat dampened bangs trying to slow her heart rate.

"Maybe I'm going crazy…" she mumbles to herself. At the sound of footsteps she turns walking briskly out of the gate remembering Leslie and deciding she doesn't want to wait for Tim any longer. "Hey Leslie! Actually would you… Leslie?" Cassie walks toward the car but doesn't see anyone. Confused she turns in circles, her ears were trained well enough to know the footsteps came from this direction. "Leslie?" Cassie stops facing the school. Uneasy, she looks to her sides again, an ominous feeling hanging around her as though she is missing something. Something very obvious and very bad. _Relax… It's probably nothing. You're just worked up_. Despite the self-talk Cassie feels exposed with her back to the street; it would be safer to stand with her back to the building.

Her first step never meets the concrete.

"I promise…" His voice cuts into her like ice and suddenly she can't think, can't move, can't even breathe. Her eyes go wide and she tries to look behind her without turning her head. One thought dominates over everything else in her mind; _He's dead! This can't be real! _Somewhere in the back of her mind someone is screaming something she can't make out. "You're not crazy." Cassie inhales a shaky breathe pleading with her brain, what it's telling her has to be wrong. It isn't possible. He starts laughing, a sinister chuckle in her ear, banging through her skull. She grits her teeth against it. There is something she should do, she knows it but she can't think straight and someone is still screaming at her. It's hard to focus on the shriek, like trying to catch smoke, but somehow she knows it's what she needs to do. Time seems to stop and she realizes the voice is hers and she's screaming _RUN!_ She comes back to her senses too late to stop the needle. A hand clamps over her mouth and within seconds she is starring up helplessly as the stars blink out and fade to black.


	20. Chapter 19

_A/N: These characters are the property of DC Nation. Reviews are awesome, thanks!_

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Chapter 19:

Friday, 9 September 2013

9:34 PM

Tim's POV:

"Hey you've reached Cassie Grayson's cell phone. If you are hearing this it means I'm probably doing something stupid and dangerous and can't get to the phone right now so leave a message after the beep. Thanks, bye!" Tim rolls his eyes at the cheery recording of Cassie's voice coming through the phone, if only people actually knew how accurate that excuse really was. He spins in a circle looking around at the empty block waiting for the beep.

"Ha ha Cassie, very funny. I know I was late but seriously where are you?" He looks down the street void of any sign of people other than his own car parked at the curb. "We're already late for whatever it is Wally wanted us there for and I called the Cave and told him we would be there on time. Get out here!" He hangs up the phone sure that Cassie will listen to the voice mail, be satisfied, and come out from wherever she is hiding. His patience wears thin quickly and he turns to face the school his eyes searching for any sign of her on the premises, he knits his eyebrows together coming up with nothing. "Cassie!" No response. He cups his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, "Cassie!" Still she doesn't detach herself from the shadows. Tim makes a groaning sound and walks toward the gate whatever amusement he felt leaving him. "Cassie seriously we have to go." Fed up and running out of the little patience he has left Tim pulls out his phone, presses redial, and waits for the ringing to start.

"Hey you've reached Cassie Grayson's cell phone. If you are-"Tim pulls the phone from his ear and ends the call. Straight to voicemail. That was strange. Cassie knew when to quit a practical joke and this wasn't the time to escalate it by turning off her phone. He dials again and is once more sent right to voice mail. He pulls the phone away from his ear slowly, something here is not right. Paranoid, Tim's hand makes its way to the smoke pellets hidden in his belt and he searches the area for anything to prove him wrong. Cassie would call if she went somewhere else or leave something behind to show him where she went but she hadn't called and there was nothing here. Frustrated from the lack of answers he makes his way back to his car and tries her phone again – voice mail.

"Where did you go Cassie?" There is a part of Tim that wants to sound the alarm. Call the Cave and tell them something's wrong; Cassie is missing and he needs help to find her. He shakes off the thought and the suspicion of the unthinkable, remembering that it's more likely that Dick picked her up and she just forgot to call him. Tim turns the key in the ignition. _Wally just didn't tell Dick I was getting her and he picked her up instead_. He pulls away from the curb and heads toward the Grayson's house on the other side of downtown. _Yeah, Dick picked her up and she just turned off her phone because she's mad that I was late. _He speeds through the streets weaving in and out of traffic. _She's already at the Cave. _He tears out of the car and fumbles with the key in the lock and all the security to get to the surveillance room and zeta beam. _She'll be there._ He programs his destination and steps onto the platform impatiently waiting for the disorienting sensation of teleportation.

The light fades and Tim finds himself standing on the large zeta platform in the Cave his presence being announced overhead by the security system. He takes off for what serves as the Cave's living room at a run unable to shake the horrible feeling in his gut that he's wrong. There he finds nearly the entire Team plus some extras; Superboy, Miss Martian, Aqualad, Barbara, Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Dick, Artemis, and of course, Wally, but no Cassie. He stares at the mingling and laughing group his heart sinking. Wally looks in his direction and shouts across the room.

"So much for being on time Tim." He smiles but Tim just stares back blankly. _Cassie was supposed to be here. _Wally's face changes when he realizes she isn't at Tim's side. "Where's Trouble?" Dick turns around mid-laugh but it dies once he registers Tim's expression and Cassie's lack of presence. Tim swallows, every pair of eyes in the room now trained on him.

"She wasn't at school." Dick's mouth closes in a hard line, "I… I looked for her but she turned her phone off. I assumed you came and picked her up." He meets Wally's eyes, their green deep and troubled. Dick angles his head down and has his hand clenched in a fist by his side. "I thought it was just a miscommunication…"

"She went on patrol." Dick speaks through gritted teeth, his voice angry. "Reckless and stubborn!" Tim watches Dick become angrier and move to leave, "I don't care what her excuses are or rationality is for it this time I'm going to lock in an interrogation room here at the Cave. Let's see her try to get out of that." Dick storms out of the room probably to get his uniform and Wally gives Artemis a sorry look before she nods and allows him to go chasing after Dick suggesting that someone call Batman to help before he rounds the corner.

"He got called away, some top secret problem at Bel Rev." Tim speaks matter-of-factly his mind not really concerned with what he says until he looks up and finds the remaining heroes staring at him. "He wouldn't tell me anything… just left." They erupt into conversation after that, Tim hears snippets of dialogue about Cassie and Dick and about Batman. With the focus now on other things Tim stares down at the ground trying to force down that feeling that something is horribly wrong. A hand pulls his chin up and he finds himself looking into Artemis' brown eyes.

"You alright?" She drops her hand from his face and Tim nods overenthusiastically, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah… I'm sure it's nothing. Dick's probably right." Artemis nods, her blonde hair falling off her shoulders. "Anyway, um, do you know why Wally wanted everyone here?" She bites her lip and places a hand over her stomach with a sigh.

"I'm pregnant." Somehow, Miss Martian manages to hear Artemis' last two words and repeats the information in a happy squeal for everyone present to hear. Tim stares, he knows he should hug her or say something but he can't do much else caught between happiness for her and an irrational worry for Cassie.


	21. Chapter 20

_A/N: I don't own these characters they belong to DC Nation. Hope you guys are liking it! Keep the reviews coming! Thanks!_

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Chapter 20:

Friday, 9 September 2013

10:45 PM

Dick's POV:

There were only so many places a teenager could go in Gotham City, a teenage superhero however, she had a much better chance of staying hidden if she didn't want to be found. Dick knows Cassie isn't hiding from him though, she is out here somewhere looking for trouble to get herself into and that narrows down his search area substantially. Standing on the roof of an apartment complex in the Narrows Nightwing looks out over the worst part of the city wondering why he hasn't found her yet. He had already checked every inch of the Narrows and the northern half of downtown, he'd found several muggings and other crimes which he had to dispose of, but he hadn't found Sparrow. He tries calling her again on his communicator but only hears static as it tries in vain to find her wavelength. There is a rushing sound behind him and Kid Flash materializes at his side.

"She's not at the docks." Dick locks his hands behind his head trying to breathe. Cassie was out here looking for something to prove her nightmares wrong, she wanted something to make her forget that powerless feeling and she was going to get herself killed because of it. "There are still plenty of places she could be. It's a big city." Dick nods, drops his hands and turns his back on the city lights.

"Call her." Kid Flash narrows his eyes at Nightwing reaching for his communicator at his belt regardless, "My communicator isn't working, it can't find her wavelength. Just call her." He pulls out his communicator, a narrow metal tube with a speaker on the end, and holds it uncertainly.

"What makes you think she's going to answer?"

"Do you ever not at least listen to your communicator when someone calls?"

"Of course not! Emergencies happen and how else is the team supposed to…" Kid Flash stops midsentence and smirks a bit. "Good point." Nightwing crosses his arms impatiently waiting to hear either Sparrow's voice or the tone. Instead there is only static. Nightwing narrows his eyes and looks back and forth between his best friend's confused face and the communicator in his red-gloved hand. Kid Flash looks up, his eyes brimming with uncertainty behind his mask, "It can't find her wavelength."

"Yours is broken too?" The second the words spill out of his mouth he realizes how stupid of a question it is. There was no such thing as a coincidence. His own communicator starts beeping in his ear and it takes him a moment to register the sound, he touches the ear piece, "Yeah?"

"It's not broken." Kid Flashes voice comes through in two different places, he looks up as if noticing for the first time that his best friend is standing in front of him with his communicator held to his lips. "And neither is yours." Nightwing reaches up and cuts off the call shaking his head.

"Okay, so neither of us could get a signal on her the only way that would happen would be if she…" he turns and looks back out over the Narrows, "if she turned it off." _That's really stupid. _He turns back to Kid Flash whose expression matches his own, disbelief. Turning off your communicator was something you just didn't do, at least without declaring radio silence first. Cassie came out looking for trouble, Dick knew she wouldn't be likely to answer but she was definitely smart enough to keep it on. What if there had been an emergency and they needed her? What if she stumbled upon something too big for just her to handle? You always take your communicator, it was a rule up there with never go anywhere without your utility belt. "She knows better." A feeling he can't quite name starts to claw its way into his stomach.

"Even if it is off she still has it on her, maybe she just doesn't know it's off." Nightwing nods turning away from Kid Flash and placing his hands on the ledge of the building trying to convince himself that what Wally says could be true. "She wouldn't go anywhere without it and they all have GPS in them right?" He nods trying to swallow whatever it is in his stomach making him feel sick. "We can track her. I'll just call the Cave and have Robin locate her GPS signal, alright?" Dick inhales deeply telling himself that this perfectly logical plan will work. _Stop being paranoid_. He nods and pushes off from the wall gently to face Kid Flash again. _Cassie is right, I go crazy during September_.

"Make the call." Kid Flash pulls his communicator from his belt again and speaks into it quickly. Nightwing leans back onto the ledge only hearing snippets of what his companion says instead, he consumes his mind with trying to decide how long Cassie will be grounded once he finds her.

"He's pulling up her location now." Nightwing folds his arms over his chest waiting impatiently for some useful information. "She's somewhere in the city, don't worry, we'll find her." Dick smiles trying to build himself up as confident despite the sickening feeling still churning in his gut. The communicator starts to beep again, "That's Robin." Dick berates himself mentally when his heart rate picks up the sound pulsing in his ears so loud he almost doesn't hear Tim's voice come over the speaker.

"It's not here." His heart stops pounding, maybe even stops beating altogether, "I can't find her. There's no signal." Dick tries to step back but is stopped by the wall of the roof, his stomach twists into knots and he is sure he will vomit. Off in the distance he thinks he can make out Wally demanding that Tim look again. _This isn't happening. Don't let the month get to you, do not overreact Grayson! _Trying to talk himself out of it doesn't help, there is an irrefutable certainty forming in his mind that something is incredibly wrong.


	22. Chapter 21

_A/N: Writing the rest of this story was hard for me because I had a certain mood and atmosphere I wanted to capture so reviews and suggestions would be amazing! Thank you so much for your support and ideas! Keep them coming!_

_DC Nation holds all the rights to these characters._

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Chapter 21:

Saturday; 10 September 2013

7:24 AM

Cassie's POV:

Her bedroom is still pitch black when Cassie's eyes flutter open so she lets them fall shut again hoping to fall back asleep. She buries her head in the crook of her arm as flashes of the nightmare come back to her. This was the first time she had ever had a nightmare about Slade coming and picking her up like that, from her life in Gotham. It had been so real too, she actually felt him standing behind her whispering and laughing in her ear. A dull pain starts to form behind her eye sockets, _maybe I should go wake up dad_. Slade was dead, there was no way he could show up at her school, at a time when she wouldn't even normally be there to top it off, and take her. Despite the improbability of the nightmare becoming a reality Cassie would be lying to herself if she didn't admit it had shaken her up. She gives up trying to defeat her anxiety by herself and calls for her dad. Her headache spreads and he doesn't come so she calls louder lifting her unseeing eyes from the cushion of her arm to listen for his footsteps. "Dad?" She rolls to the side expecting to slide off her mattress but instead finds she rolls across something hard, cold, and rough. Her eyes fly open upon realizing she isn't in her room but she can't see anything. There is hardly anything other blackness in the room with barely enough light to allow her to see her hand just in front of her face. _No! It was a dream!_ Cassie pushes herself backwards until she collides with a wall just as cold and rough as the floor. Her heart pounds in her chest and suddenly the room is a brilliant white and she has to cover her narrowed eyes until they adjust.

The room is made up completely of concrete and is about the size of a large closet with industrial style fluorescent lighting, several metal loops pounded into the wall above her head, and a metal door in the wall across from her. She looks down at herself expecting to find blood or some evidence of injury but instead she just sees the same jacket, sports bra, pants, and shoes she had been running in. _Oh God this can't be happening!_ A high creak followed by a slam makes Cassie jump and turn to face the now open door. Despite herself she backs up into the wall more trying to force as much distance between herself and her captor as possible but he just leans on the door frame. Backed up as far as she can go Cassie stares unbelievingly at him, just the way she remembers as a child; metal plated silver, black, and brown suit, mask that covers his entire face and only exposes one eye, the villain she never could stop. The monster that invaded her nightmares. Slade.

"Sorry sweat heart, daddy's not here."

8:04 AM

Dick's POV:

"Cassie!" Dick throws open her bedroom door and storms inside. The bed is still made, nightstand somehow still standing, window is closed, and everything is exactly the way he remembered it from the last time he saw it. He pulls open her closet doors and checks behind the hanging clothes and even checks under her bed in vain. He runs out of the room and checks all the other rooms in the house shouting her name but the only people there are Wally and himself. "She's not here!" He comes into the living room pulling his mask from his face and thinking that the panic may be too much this time. He was counting on her being home. It never mattered where she went, she could be gone all night long, but she always came home.

"Tim says she isn't at Wayne Manor either." Shaking with a mixture of anger and terror Dick punches the wall separating his kitchen from his living room leaving a deep fist sized hole. He shakes the plaster dust off his fist and paces back and forth before the new decoration. Wal motions toward the opening with his pointer finger, "Feel better?" The same question he asked Cassie after she kicked her nightstand just over twenty-four hours earlier.

"No." He snaps. Still angry he kicks one of the kitchen chairs, it cracks and falls to the ground. "I won't feel better until I have my daughter sitting in that chair and out of harm's way!"

"That chair?" Wally kicks at a broken piece of wood and looks up sheepishly at Dick, "I don't think anyone is going to be sitting in this chair any time soon." He shrugs and puts his hands up in surrender.

"What part of this do you think is funny Wally!?" He shirks away at Dick's volume and when Wally speaks again his voice is much quieter trying to defuse him.

"It's not. I know. I'm sorry." Dick wants to yell again but bites his tongue. "She could still just be out there somewhere, it's not the first time she's taken off and been gone all night. Don't start thinking worst case scenario yet. We'll find her." Dick leans his elbows on the kitchen table trying and failing to calm himself.

"We've scoured the entire city and most of the surrounding territory twice Wally. If we were going to find her, we would have found her by now!" Wally starts to say something but Dick cuts him off his voice acrid, "She's good but she isn't that good. I trained her! She can't hide from me for this long and don't you try telling me there isn't something wrong here." A family picture from their life back at the Tower catches Dick's eye, looking at the three smiling faces he bites back tears and swallows the sickly pit rising in his throat. He looks back up at Wally his eyes wild with anguish. "Are you really going to tell me you don't feel it too?" Wally sets his jaw and turns away, "Can you honestly say you don't think there is something seriously wrong going on?!" Dick stands up straighter and Wally meets his gaze just as troubled and nervous. "You helped me train her, she is too smart to turn off her communicator, definitely too smart to disable the GPS, and she would be back by now if she just took off. It isn't like her!" Wally reaches up and pulls his cowell off his head exposing his red hair. "I know it hasn't been 24 hours yet but something is wrong! I know it!" Dick thinks Wally is going to try to negate him and shouts, "Don't tell me it's just because of the month! Cassie is out there somewhere in trouble and I have to find her! I have to save her!" Dick puts his head in his hands certain whatever he has in his stomach is about to make a reappearance.


	23. Chapter 22

_A/N: I don't own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

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Chapter 22:

Saturday, 10 September 2013

8:17 AM

Cassie's POV:

It was a dream. It had to be. That was what she told herself. But a lie is only believable for so long. She had no idea how but it was true. Slade was alive and she was trapped in his clutches. Panic churns inside of her like acid. How could this happen? She closes her eyes and opens them again hoping to wake up and find out it isn't true. Her breathing is short, not providing enough oxygen, _I can't believe this is happening! _She brushes back her hair with a shaking hand trying to take a deep breath. _But it is happening_. Her head falls back gently on the wall; _accept it and move on_. This wasn't the first time she had been held captive, what she'd learned, and been taught, was that you never waited on rescue. There was no guarantee you were going to be found. As far as Cassie's concerned, she's on her own.

First things first; she stands and surveys her surroundings more thoroughly. Without the layer of shock covering her vision she analyzes her surroundings. The lights are too high for her to reach so she can forget breaking the bulbs for glass shards, the metal loops in the wall above her head are solidly drilled into the concrete walls and look like they are strong enough to hold a couple of tons in weight and are just large enough to rope some chain through, the door is solid steel with welded hinges that she would need a sledge hammer or her staff to break, aside from that the room is empty. Next she searches her person, the clothes are thin and stretchy, she isn't even really wearing a shirt, the bandage over her stitches has been removed, her cell phone, communicator, and iPod are all gone but that she expected. The most dangerous things she has on her are her fists and brain. However, given that she wasn't tied down when she woke up and that there is only one poorly placed camera in the room Cassie decides that Slade must not believe her to be much of a threat. She tries to see this insult to her pride as a good thing – he underestimates her – and leans back on the wall with the chain loops trying to think of a way to break out. After a few minutes of playing through several scenarios in her head the door once again swings open and Slade leans on the door frame his exposed eye considering her.

"No witty comment?" The voice throws her. It comes straight out of her nightmares. Seeing him standing there all of the control she fought so hard to get back threatens to flee. She presses harder into the wall gritting her teeth and hoping he can't see the fear in her eyes. "Your father would be disappointed." Hearing him talk about her dad Cassie is overwhelmed with anger and disgust. Slade had no right to even think of her father after what he did. He shifts in the doorway leaning his back on the doorframe instead of his shoulder, "In fact, I admit myself disappointed…" he crosses his arms over his chest, "I expected you to be better."

"You're supposed to be dead." The words spill out of her mouth before she can stop them. Slade nods his head slowly several times then turns to look at her.

"And you're supposed to be an orphan." The sick twisted smile that she is sure lies behind his mask shows plain in his cold grey eye. Cassie's breath catches in her throat, she was already motherless and if Slade had his way her dad would have died years ago when he rescued Wally. Her dad hadn't died though. Apparently neither had Slade. "I guess neither of us got what we wanted, did we?" Cassie averts her eyes from his gaze repulsed by Slade including her with him in that 'we.' She looks down at her shoe wondering if it would be worth anything to throw it at him.

"Well you've got me so what are you waiting for?" She looks back up at him through narrowed eyelids malice dripping from her words. "Why haven't you killed me yet?" He doesn't look surprised by her question and remains at his perch. Cassie faced the very real threat of death nearly every day and it often crossed her mind making it more of a numb topic than something terrifying. Or if it was terrifying she forced herself to swallow the fear for the sake of the greater good. On any day there had to be scores of people in Gotham alone that wanted her dead and Slade, after everything her family had done to him, had to want her dead more than the majority of them combined. Cassie searches his mask for something, anything, to answer her question but it's just cold lifeless metal. "Why am I still alive?" desperation bleeds into her voice surprising her. Slade detaches himself from the doorframe walking toward her his chest puffed large and malicious intent in his every move. Cassie fights the urge to back up into the wall sure that he is coming to kill her now. She balls her hand into a fist, if he wanted her dead then she wasn't going down without a fight. He stops directly in front of her so close she can see the texture in his iris.

"Why would I want to kill you?" Cassie knits her eyebrows together taken off guard by his answer and then unnerved by what follows. "I'm going to finish what I started. I still need an apprentice." He speaks as if it's common knowledge and Cassie finds it hard not to want to back away. "After I finish your training of course, like I said, I thought you would be better. I demand better." He leans back a satisfied gleam in his eye, Cassie shakes her head horrified and angered by what she's been told.

"There is nothing you can do that would ever make me be your apprentice." He steps forward again towering above Cassie who, despite the intimidation, holds her ground.

"Your dad said something similar before he gave in." Cassie ignores the bait. It was true Robin had been Slade's apprentice but that was only because Slade threatened the Titans and eventually Robin outsmarted the trap. "The difference is: I've learned. I thought I could control Robin by threatening his friends and giving him that small piece of hope, the illusion that he still had some inkling of control…" Slade places his palms on the wall on each side of Cassie caging her in, "That was a mistake. What I should have done was break him, break his spirit." He inches his face closer to hers and she turns away looking at her shoulder. "That is exactly what I'm going to do to you." He leans down closer to her ear, "And once you are beaten, broken, and know your place…Then I'll let your dad find you, let him see what I've done, show him how he failed to protect you, and then I'll kill him." With that Slade pushes off the wall and walks out the door slamming it shut behind him, she hears the unmistakable thud of a drop bar after that and knows she is sealed in with nowhere to run.


	24. Chapter 23

_AN: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation._

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Chapter 23:

Saturday, 10 September 2013

8:25 PM

Dick's POV:

No crime scene is ever completely clean, even the ones that supposedly are. There are ways to find out what was there before, what was used to get rid of whatever it was, and how long ago it was there. From that you get time lines and variables that turn into leads and before you know it you know who the culprit is. This scene was different. There was nothing there. Dick had gone to GA and searched every square inch of the entire block looking for anything to hint at where Cassie might be but the area was clean. No prints. No blood. No signs of a struggle. Not even a skid mark. Completely clean. Dick leans back in his chair rubbing his eyes then looks back up at the Bat Cave supercomputer hopelessly. With nothing to go on from the scene he had been searching his memory for anyone who might want to take Cassie and then seeking them out. That list isn't short and he had spent the day making sure their major foes were still locked up in prison or Arkham. Behind him he hears footsteps coming down the stairs and spins around in his chair hoping for a certain face.

"Bruce?" Instead he finds Tim who shrugs apologetically in his leather jacket, Dick nods trying to hide his disappointment.

"Still can't get a hold of him?" Dick shakes his head, they had been trying to reach Batman since the night before but hadn't had any luck. As much faith as Dick had in his abilities as a detective he desperately wanted the help of the world's best, as well as the comfort of having his father by his side. "What the hell is so important at Bel Rev?" Dick shakes his head and turns back to the computer scrolling through a list of repeat offenders Cassie had helped put away in the past year. Tim shifts behind Dick's chair, "I checked all of the local hang outs… she wasn't there."

"She's not going to be there. She didn't just leave this time Tim." His voice is raspy from sleep deprivation.

"I know." Looking defeated with his head hanging, Tim leans on the console next to Dick, "I just needed to feel like I was doing something so I went and looked." Unsure of what to say and having the same sentiment himself Dick continues to scroll through mission write ups. _Any one of these people could have taken her._ After clicking through several Dick sits up straighter as he comes across a person almost too frightening to consider but surely crazy enough to go after a part of the bat family.

"Is the Joker still in Arkham?" He looks to Tim his eyes half filled with hope to have found his lead and half pleading to be wrong. If the Joker had Cassie she was probably being tortured by one of his sick pranks this minute and they were on a clock before the Joker's big finale. Tim looks down considering the question then turns to check something in the report a grimace on his face.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he broke out by now…" He points toward the screen beginning to look away. "We put him in 5 months ago, he tends to break out pretty quick. They might just not know he is missing, more likely they just haven't reported it." He pauses looking directly at Dick now, "This _is_ Arkham we're talking about." Dick stands up from his chair sending it rolling backwards with his fervor.

"So he's out!" Tim's eyebrows knit together in confusion. Dick's worst fear and greatest accomplishment come crashing together as part of him celebrates a lead and the other worries over what could possibly be happening to Cassie at the hands of the Joker. He shakes off the anxiety, he had a lead and now it was just a matter of time before he found her and once he did she would be safe. As for the Joker, thinking about him makes Dick see red. Tim's eyes widen with understanding.

"Joker has her? Why would he take just her?" He shakes his head apparently not buying into it then adds, "And how would he know to grab her from GA? She wasn't even in uniform!"

"Tim when does the Joker do anything that makes-"

"Crap! Do you think he knows who we are? Like who we really are?" Tim whips his head around scanning the cave. Dick rolls his eyes dramatically, annoyed with all the pointless questions.

"How am I supposed to know? Let's go find him and ask." Tim starts to protest again the uncertainty clear on his face so Dick cuts him off. "Look I don't know how he did it but we will find out, we always do. And he's probably going to come after the rest of us too, Cassie was just the first mark." Dick keeps talking rationalizing it to himself as much as Tim, "He's going after Batman Tim! He's just doing it through us!" Dick waits impatiently for Tim to realize he's right.

"Let's just go make sure he isn't still at Arkham and then we'll see about tracking him down." Dick agrees to this suggestion and the two heroes suit up. Dick dresses mechanically after so many years of repetition giving his tired brain time to wander. He thinks of Cassie hoping she knows he is coming for her.


	25. Chapter 24

_A/N: I do not own these characters they belong to DC Nation. Thanks for reading! Review! Review! Review!_

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Chapter 24:

Saturday, 10 September 2013

10:37 PM

Dick's POV:

Joker wasn't at Arkham. This was good. This was a lead. Finally. Nightwing dragged Robin with him to check out all of Joker's known hideouts but they had come up empty and eventually Robin had convinced Nightwing that they should go for back up. Batman still refused to respond to their transmissions so they called Kid Flash and instructed him to meet them at Mount Justice. Despite Kid being a speedster, Nightwing and Robin beat him to the Cave and Nightwing paces back and forth raring to go back on the hunt and afraid that if he stops moving he will pass out from exhaustion. After what feels like hours to Dick, Wally steps off the zeta platform his mask still hanging on his back like the hood of a sweater.

"Put your mask on, let's go." Dick starts to walk past Wally toward the platform but Wally stops in his place and Robin doesn't follow. He turns around and throws his hands up in frustration, "C'mon, let's move!" Wally plants himself more firmly in his spot.

"I'm not going anywhere until you explain to me exactly what is going on." Dick stares at his best friend shocked and angry that he would waste what valuable time they had on this.

"We don't have time for this!" Robin flinches at Dick's aggression and takes a step back but Wally only crosses his arms and suggests that if that's the case then Dick better talk fast. Enraged, Dick considers leaving them there and going out on his own but thinks better of it and obliges to tell Wally the rationality he devised hours earlier and what they had discovered to prove his rationalities correct. When he finishes he expects Wally to throw on his mask and bolt for the platform but instead he licks his lips and considers Dick with his green eyes. Dick shakes his head at him too surprised and annoyed to speak.

"You're entire theory is based on assumptions. Dick you've got nothing concrete." Dick starts to argue but Wally won't have it and shouts back at him. "You haven't found anything Dick! None of us have! Maybe it was Joker, but you have no evidence to back it up and what if you're wrong?" Dick doesn't answer, "Then you just wasted all this time and Cassie's trail gets colder." Rage takes over. Dick isn't wrong, he can't be, and this pointless argument is wasting his precious time. Dick turns to leave, if Wally won't help then he'll find her himself. Before he makes it two feet Wally is in front of him pushing him back. "Alright fine," Dick stumbles but catches his balance, "Let's just say you are right for argument's sake. Joker has her. Are you really going to go fight the Joker like this? When's the last time you slept? Ate?" Dick insists that he his fine and tries to push past Wally but with one good shove Dick stumbles and falls on his back. Wally stands over him his face hard and covered in shadows. "I'm already going out of my mind worrying about my god-daughter and there is no way in hell I'm letting you go get yourself killed." Dick looks up at his best friend feeling only contempt, this wasn't his best friend right now - this was just someone standing in his way. "I swear I will knock you out if I have to." Dick's muscles tense to lunge just as a stern deep voice speaks from behind him.

"That won't be necessary." Propped up on his elbows Dick twists to look behind him where he finds Batman standing next to Robin his mouth set in a hard line. Dick's anger melts away at the sight of him and he finds relief knowing that of all people Batman will understand how the Joker took Cassie and be able to help Dick find them. Dick stands up quickly and covers the distance between him and his mentor quickly while detailing his suspicions. "It wasn't the Joker." Dick blinks behind his mask utterly confused, Batman was supposed to understand. He pulls off his mask as if his optic lenses are impeding his ability to comprehend the world. Behind Dick, Wally mumbles something like I told you so and Batman looks at him. "How long has she been gone?"

"Just over 24 hours." Dick answers staring up at his father who refuses to meet his gaze and continues to watch Wally. Anger again bubbles inside Dick, Bruce had always been distant and sometimes even cold but this was not the time to ignore his own son. "Where have you been?" He shifts his gaze from Wally to a spot on the wall behind Dick's head and Dick fights the urge to grab his chin and force him to meet his eye.

"It wasn't the Joker."

"How do you know?" Tim asks the question Dick is thinking. Bruce removes his cowell and finally meets Dick's eyes. They are pleading and sorry and suddenly Dick wishes he hadn't looked at him after all.

"Because I know who took her." That sorrowful tone scares Dick and he takes a step back not sure he wants to know anymore. Bruce opens his mouth to say something but comes up short, a pit forms in Dick's stomach, Bruce tries again, his voice weak and cracking as if it doesn't belong to him. "Dick, I'm so sorry. I thought…" Dick takes another step backwards shaking his head knowing whatever Bruce is about to say he doesn't want to hear. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was protecting you." Behind him Wally demands to know what Bruce is talking about, Bruce looks at him quickly and then back to Dick his expression silently pleading for forgiveness. "Slade has Cassie." Dick shakes his head feeling his eyes brim with tears he won't let flow.

"Slade's dead. A building fell on top of him." Dick's voice comes out hoarse and pained, "You said you cremated his body…" Then something in Dick's brain clicks, some part of him must have always known because somehow it makes perfect sense. He stands up straighter and glares at Bruce through tear-blurred eyes his tone caught somewhere between pleading and screaming. "You told me he was dead." Brue looks him directly in the eye regret clear in his blue irises.

"I lied." What happens next is a blur. Dick screams and lunges at Bruce who instinctively twists out of the way but Dick keeps coming until they are on the ground and Dick is landing blow after blow. He shouts incoherently at Bruce and hits harder each time with hot angry tears, unbeknownst to Dick, slipping down his cheeks. Remarkably Bruce doesn't put up a fight. He takes the beating quietly until Wally and Tim manage to pry Dick away.

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_A/N: Hope you guys like that little twist. I had fun writing it!_


	26. Chapter 25

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they belong to DC Nation. Thanks for helping me with reviews! Keep them coming!_

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Chapter 25:

Saturday, 10 September 2013

11:27 PM

Dick's POV:

A husband comes home early from work one day and finds his wife in bed with the lawyer who lives across the street. Several hours later that same husband is in jail for double homicide. He was found with the bodies, covered in blood, and the murder weapon in hand but he still claims to be innocent. He says he had no control over what he was doing. His body just did it. He couldn't have stopped it if he'd wanted to. It was a crime of passion. When Dick lunged at Bruce he couldn't help himself. He didn't know what he was doing. He couldn't hear his best friend and brother yelling at him to stop. He couldn't feel them trying to pull him away. He couldn't have stopped himself if he'd wanted to. It was a crime of passion. Thankfully however, Wally and Tim managed to pull him off of Bruce before Dick killed him.

"Dick!" He strains against the arms holding him back simply because they are holding him back. "Dick! Calm down!" Whoever is holding him pins him to a wall flattening one side of his face. "Listen to me! You have to calm down! It's me, Wally, remember?" The voice registers but Dick can't stop, there's too much adrenaline and emotion running through him. Wally lifts him off the wall a little and then slams him back down "I told you, I will knock you out!" After a few more seconds the fight starts to go out of him. His breathing slows down and Wally's grip on the back of his uniform starts to slacken, the pressure just barely letting up. "I'm going to let go…" he leans off of Dick's back a little more, "Are you going to go postal again?" Dick shakes his head as best he can while pressed up against a wall and Wally steps off of him completely. Dick turns around to find Wally rubbing his jaw where a red spot has formed, Dick assumes he punched him during his outrage.

"Sorry…" Wally drops his hand, wiggles his jaw a bit, and shrugs.

"Don't worry about it." Dick clenches and unclenches his fists still feeling the adrenaline in his veins, Wally raises one of his eyebrows, "If we go back over there are you going to lunge again?" Dick looks past him at Bruce holding a rag to his lip and Tim standing before him, arms crossed, and shoulders set in a tense posture.

"No promises."

"Can't say I blame you." Wally throws his head in the other two heroes' direction and turns to walk that way, "C'mon I want to know how the hell he managed to pull this off." Seething, Dick follows. They stop next to Tim who appears to be just as unhappy with his father as Dick is. Bruce throws down the rag revealing a bleeding split lip that brings a half smile to Dick's face and looks at each of them in turn.

"If I were you…" Dick speaks coldly before anyone else can, "I'd start explaining." Bruce licks at the still bleeding cut and nods. "And I'd start with why you didn't tell me Slade was still breathing."

"The day you rescued Wally Slade detonated explosives in the ceiling of that base hoping to kill all of you, but, as we all know, the only person to be seriously injured when the roof collapsed was Slade himself." Dick fights a correction to his story, the falling debris had broken his leg and knocked him out for several days. Those were pretty serious injuries. "The Titans showed up and called the League. Dick you were already out cold, Artemis was heading down the same path, and Wally, you were just as injured so the Titans took you with some of the other League members for medical attention and I stayed behind because someone had to dig up Slade's body." Bruce looks directly at Dick, "I thought it was what you would want me to do. Make sure he was really dead."

"But he wasn't…" Dick shoots Tim a look having forgotten he was there. Bruce meets Tim's eyes and continues.

"No, he wasn't. Somehow he managed to survive. Nearly every bone in his body was broken, he was soaked in blood, he had two tons of concrete, steel, and plaster fall on him but somehow he lived. Barley. League regulation, regulation that I helped write, demands that criminals be brought to jail. So that's what I did. I brought him to Bel Rev and let their doctors handle it. He was so badly injured I thought there couldn't be much done for him but they saved him." Dick looks away, _you should have let him die._ "If you had known he was alive it would have driven you crazy, Dick. You would have been obsessed with making sure he never got out. I didn't want that for you." Dick tastes a nasty retort but bites his tongue and continues to stare at the wall. "I instructed Bel Rev to only contact me if anything concerning him happened and when you woke up I told you he was dead." Bruce falls silent and no one speaks until Dick can't take it anymore.

"And you didn't think he would ever try to get out? You didn't think I deserved to know about a potential threat?!" He stares at the man who's supposed to be his father with betrayal blazing in his icy eyes.

"He never caused a problem. Didn't brake rules. Kept to himself. Followed directions. He was a model prisoner. I never got a call."

"What changed?" Wally speaks just as coldly as Dick, who is once again glad to call him his best friend. "If he's got Cassie it means he broke out. What changed?"

"There was a mix up. The guard working his cell block was fired and they replaced him with someone new. The new guard kept sending in requests to have his prison cards updated because one of his charges wasn't there from the beginning, he assumed the prisoner had been moved. It took a week for administration to realize they had a break out." Bruce trails off looking at the bloody rag on the floor. "He found a way out after the old guard left and before the new one started."

"He's been at large for a week?" Bruce meets Dick's gaze, a silent affirmation passing between them. Slade had already had a week to stalk them, to hunt them down, and Dick hadn't even known there was a real threat out there. Dick turns and walks away sure that if he stays that close to Bruce Wally and Tim will have to arrest him for committing a crime of passion.


	27. Chapter 26

_A/N: I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

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Chapter 26:

Monday, 12 September 2013

6:28 AM

Cassie's POV:

In a windowless concrete box time doesn't mean much. Ten hours could feel like ten days. However long it has been, it been long enough for Cassie to snap out of the initial shock of hearing Slade's plan and try to think one out for herself. Obviously she needed a way out but realistically she didn't think her chances of escape where all that great. If Slade was aiming to refine her skills and make her his apprentice she decided she would kill his plans by refusing everything he tried to give and teach her. However long it had been she also had time to scope out the room and discover that the security camera only had a view directly in front of the door and of the middle portion of the opposite wall. Each corner and the side walls of the room where out of view so that is where she stayed. She had been stuck in that room for so long she was starting to wonder if Slade had forgotten about her.

She sits in the far left corner of the room, her knees bent and back resting on the cold wall behind her. For a while after Slade left her alone she had been so agitated she couldn't sit still, at some point she fell asleep, then she bounced back and forth between falling asleep and waking up jumpy. This time though, awake after sleeping for who knew how long, she feels more tired. Her mouth and throat taste like paper and feel coarse like sand. Her stomach keeps growling and clenching painfully. When she stands her vision swims and her body threatens to tip over, sure signs of dehydration. The last time Cassie ate something was Friday morning before school, and that was only a piece of toast because she hadn't been hungry at the time. Thinking back on it now she regrets her decision and wishes she didn't lose her appetite when she was stressed and instead ate from stress like most other teenagers in the world. On top of that, the last time she had water was when she finished a water bottle halfway through her run Friday night. _Okay, I'm dehydrated. Guess I've been here for a while._ Her eyes search the room, Slade hadn't left her so much as a bucket to go to the bathroom in let alone any water or food. _Maybe he does want me dead after all._ The thought makes her smile then a hunger cramp rips through her abdomen and she grits her teeth until it passes. _Well I'd rather die than be his apprentice so at least we are on the same page._ Cassie leans her head back on the wall and closes her eyes wishing dehydration and hunger were faster killers. The loud creaking of the hinges crack the silence but Cassie keeps her eyes closed listening to his footsteps fall progressively closer to her. She can feel Slade's presence towering over her and her nose picks up the smell. Something warm, salty, and greasy tickles her senses. Her stomach growls and her eyes fly open searching for the source. Sitting next to her on the ground is a microwavable TV dinner tray with French fries and a chicken breast, next to the blue tray is a giant 20 ounce bottle of water.

Hunger takes over and Cassie's hands attack the food before she can really process it's even there. The French fries taste metallic and limp and the chicken is dry and tasteless but it tastes better to her than most gourmet dinners at Bruce's charity balls. Next she gulps down nearly half of the water bottle before she remembers her training and sips slowly from the bottle like she knows she should. When it's all over, the food eaten, water bottle nearly empty, and her stomach has a painful full feeling she realizes what she's done – given in. She stares down at her greasy fingers angry with. She pushes the tray away from her eliciting a laugh from her captor.

"Angry with ourselves are we?" Cassie bites her lip, the salt still clinging to the chapped flesh. There was that repulsive 'we' again. "Oh don't be too hard on yourself, I starved you to make you eat." He squats down and grips her under her chin turning her face to his, Cassie wants to flinch from his touch but doesn't give him the satisfaction of watching her squirm. "If I hadn't you may have gone through with that little hunger strike plan of yours."

"How did you…?" His eye holds her gaze, mesmerizing with its detached malice, and it starts to remind her how scared she should be. Cassie blinks several times before shaking off the feeling and returning to herself.

"I'll be back with more water," he rises, his shadow pressing her to the floor. "Wouldn't want you to get dehydrated again now would we?" He struts out of the room, comfortable enough to turn his back on her, and pulls the door shut behind him. Cassie looks down at her hands, the empty TV tray, and water bottle a new determination taking root in her brain. If Slade was going to force her to stay alive then that was just as well because he still wasn't getting what he wanted. Cassie wasn't going to let Slade break her. She was going to keep him away from her dad. And, no matter how long it took, she was going to get out of that dark dank room.


	28. Chapter 27

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for keeping up with this! Review! Review!_

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Chapter 27:

Monday, 12 September 2013

8:23 AM

Tim's POV:

His eyelids heavy Tim forces himself to raise them and looks around to find out what is making him roll back and forth. Despite blurry vision he discovers he is in his room at Wayne Manor so he turns over and stuffs his face into a pillow deciding he's too exhausted to investigate further. The whole weekend is a sleep-deprived hazy memory of endlessly searching for any sign of Cassie or her captor and though Tim can't coherently remember much while half asleep, he does remember that they came up empty-handed. Before he falls back asleep ice sprouts from the back of his head and slips down the side of his face and neck into the pillow. Tim shoots up with a hoarse yelp trying to shake off the sudden cold.

"What are you still doing asleep?" Tim blinks at the sudden brightness, the edges of his brain and vision still bleary from sharply disturbed sleep. When it clears from his eyes he finds Bruce standing at the end of his bed a scowl plastered to his face. "School started 20 minutes ago, why are you still here?" He throws a finger at Tim's alarm clock, Tim registers the time but only wonders if he slept through the alarm, that didn't typically happen. "You haven't even changed." Tim looks down at himself still in his Robin uniform, the material wrinkled in places and his cape folded into knots hanging off his shoulder, absently he pushes it over and onto his back. He looks back up at Bruce, the light behind his head stinging Tim's eyes

"Did you really just say I'm late for school?" The sleep finally dissipating Tim remembers Bruce's confession from Saturday night and his eyes turn cold looking upon the man he was supposed to think of as his father.

"You are." Bruce turns to exit the bedroom stopping at the door only to add, "Get dressed now." Tim can hardly suppress the sharp angry scoff.

"Are you serious?" Tim swings his legs off the bed surprised to find that he managed to remove his shoes when he got home at 3:00 AM. Bruce stops just outside the doorway and Tim stares incredulously at his profile. "Cassie is out there somewhere in the clutches of the monster that killed her mother and you expect me to just… go to school" Bruce angles his face away and Tim explodes jumping to his feet. "Are you just going to sit there and act like this isn't happening?! This is your fault!" At that Bruce steps back over the threshold of Tim's doorway his eyes warning. He makes like he is going to yell as well but then seems to think better of it.

"Get on your school uniform and get going. We are not arguing about this, do you understand me?" His voice holds a finality Tim wants to ignore but doesn't after so many years of yielding to it, instead he just shakes his head making his dissenting opinion known. "Hate me all you want but you're going." He leaves Tim to grudgingly throw on his school uniform.

Almost 45 minutes later Tim walks through the doors of GA without his school tie, his hair still a mess from the pillow, and dark circles dripping under his eyes. In the main office he explains his tardiness is due to car trouble and considers walking back out the door despite Bruce's threat that he would know if Tim decided to go anywhere else. The dean issues him a detention slip for the tardy and dress code violation and sends him off to second period calculus. The class is close by so he makes it in time for the last ten minutes and the entire class turns to stare as he enters, drops the late pass on the teacher's desk, and takes a seat his eyes finding one empty desk; Cassie's. This was the only class he had with her because several juniors took calculus and Cassie happened to be one of them. Seeing it empty he has to avert his gaze thinking about how much he wants to start searching again and how much he wished Dick had broken Bruce's nose when he attacked him at the Cave.

"So Mr. Drake, can you tell us where our friend Miss Grayson is?" Tim clenches his fist wanting to punch his teacher for asking the question but anchors himself in his chair, "I would think you would know." Tim shakes his head trying not to make eye contact with anyone. The teacher gives a disappointed hmph and begins giving last minute announcements that Tim can't bring himself to care about. His brain works in an angry circle between the betrayal of Bruce's secret, the waste of time he was spending sitting at that desk, and anxiety over what could possibly be happening to Cassie. People start packing up and heading out of class, Tim hadn't heard the bell. He slings his backpack over his shoulder and starts for the door like everyone else but turns with a growling inquiry at someone's tap on his shoulder.

"Oh, sorry…" Standing before him clutching her calculus book is a girl with an oval-shaped face, warm hazel eyes, and light brown hair piled on top of her head with two pencils holding the bundle in place; Leslie. "Didn't mean to, um, annoy you?" Tim rubs his eyes trying to wipe out the frustration and remembers her name.

"Sorry Leslie," He looks back up at Cassie's best girl-friend, afraid of what's coming. "I'm just tired. Did you need something?" She raises her eyebrows at him.

"Tired is an understatement. You look awful, no offense, but you do." Tim shrugs and repeats his question wanting to get away from her. She's too closely associated with Cassie and the more he sticks around the more he wants to jump out the window and search. "I was just wondering if you knew what was up with Cassie. I was supposed to get together with her this weekend but she never responded to my texts." Tim has to look away but he looks in the wrong direction, toward Cassie's empty desk in the corner near the door. For the first time instead of feeling angry thinking about her he just feels terror. His eyes burn with the possibility of tears as he comes to the realization that Cassie may never come back. There's a very real possibility that they will never find her. Or find her too late and that desk will stay empty forever. He grips his hair trying to pull out the thought, "Tim?" Leslie's voice sounds scared and he can see that now she knows something is wrong.

"I'm sorry… uh…" He clears his throat and steels himself once more, "I have to go." Without looking back or a care for Bruce's threat he flees the school.


	29. Chapter 28

_A/N: I do not on these characters, they are the property of DC Nation._

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Chapter 28:

Monday, 12 September 2013

11:37 AM

Dick's POV:

The scene plays before his eyes like a horror movie. But it wasn't a horror movie. The people had been his loved ones, not actors. Pulling the strings was Slade, not a director. That blood was warm and organic, not cold and lifeless. He can't walk out of the movie theater and get on with his life knowing no one really got hurt. Someone was hurt. Someone died. And he will never escape that. Standing on the cliff where Star died, Dick watches it all play out before him, crystal clear, powerless to change anything. That day he lost his wife and now he was going to lose his daughter. Kid Flash sprints out from around the boulders skidding to a stop next to Nightwing.

"I checked the perimeter and surrounding buildings, there's nothing here." Dick swallows and nods staring at the edge where years earlier Star had sent Slade into the churning waters below in her last act of heroism. "Did you find anything inside?"

"Do you think I'd be standing here if I had?" In his mind's eye Dick is watching Slade fall over the side over and over again. _Why couldn't you just die?_

"You alright man?"

"Are you really asking me that question right now?" Next to him, Kid Flash sighs, looks behind them, then down at his feet. With nothing to go on they had been checking all of Slade's old haunts because it was the closest thing they had to a lead. Here, the military base where Slade had killed Star and held Wally, was the last place Dick had to check. This was their last chance to find something. But the place was just as abandoned as it has been for years. They had come up with nothing again. An overwhelming sense of dread fills Dick and Star's dying moments play before his eyes along with images of what he imagines Cassie is going through. He sees her cold, bloody, and scared; his body aches to help her but he doesn't know how. "I need a lead." His voice cracks when he speaks. "And I need it now." He puts a hand over his mouth briefly and sucks in a breath mentally hunting for some way to track either of them. Wally is about to talk when Batman's picture and identification information pops up on Nightwing's right optic lens accompanied by the beep of an incoming call from the communicator in his ear. "Oh no…" He pulls the com link out of his ear and holds it out to Kid Flash remembering the feel of Bruce's face beneath his fist. "I can't talk to him… It's Bats. Just take it." Kid pulls the ear bud from Nightwing's hand and walks back toward the boulders. For a moment Dick watches Wally talk angrily into the device but then turns away in favor of the ocean view. Almost immediately, Kid is again at his side tugging on his arm a panicked look on his face.

"We have a problem." Without argument Dick agrees to go back to the Cave to meet Batman because of Wally's expression but they arrive there too soon for Dick's taste and the very sight of Bruce makes him want to start rampaging. Bruce regards Dick in a cautionary manner as well, staying outside arm's length and avoiding eye contact but launches into his reasons for summoning them there without delay.

"Cassie has been gone for over two days now." Dick looks at him slightly peeved, he was only repeating information they already knew. He wants to open his mouth for some kind of smart comment but has a feeling whatever Bruce is getting at might be important. "Cassandra Ray Grayson has been missing for more than 48 hours, which means she is legally a missing person." Dick's eyes go wide, sometimes they forgot they had secret identities and that there was a world behind the masks. Sparrow could go missing and no one would notice. But Cassandra Grayson, high school student and granddaughter of Bruce Wayne… someone would ask questions. Nightwing pulls off his mask and wipes at his eyes trying to think this through.

"We can't report her missing. A police investigation would just impede ours." Dick looks at Wally chewing on his lip. "They would drag me in for questioning, probably Tim and Bruce too…" Dick spits out his father's name tasting rot in the word, "We wouldn't be able to do anything! I wouldn't be able to look for her!"

"Not to mention GCPD is no match for someone like Slade. They wouldn't even get close." Wally rubs the back of his neck, something he always did when he was anxious. "Even if they did…" Wally looks up from the floor, "people will end up dead."

"Dick people will notice. Her school, her friends…" Dick flinches away from Bruce's deep voice reluctant to let him help. "It's a matter of time and the longer you wait the more you look like a suspect. What are you going to do then? When you are a suspect in her case?" Dick looks up his eyes dark and crumpling with a new sense of hopelessness.

"Well what am I supposed to do?" He sucks in a shaky breath, rubbing the back of his neck, "Report her missing and let the police waste time interrogating all of us? I can't find her if I'm stuck in an interview room!" Breathing starts to feel hard, like he's sucking in smoke instead of air, reporting Cassie missing wouldn't just impede his investigation it would make this real. Undeniably so.

"I have a plan. They won't get in our way." Dick exchanges a suspicious glance with Wally and they both turn narrowed eyes on Bruce. "Trust me." Dick shakes his head at the floor his mouth set in a hard line.

"Trust you?" Dick looks back up his face contorted by anguish and betrayal, "Give me one reason why I should." Bruce doesn't speak. How could he? There is nothing that he could possibly say to rebuild that bridge


	30. Chapter 29

_A/N: These two are one of my favorite couples in the entire DC Universe. No story is complete without them! Thanks for all your reviews! Don't stop sending them!_

_I do not own these characters, they belong to DC Nation._

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Chapter 29:

Monday, 12 September 2013

5:03 PM

Wally's POV:

The warm scent of marinara sauce greets Wally when he walks through his front door. All day he had been so busy keeping Dick sane he had forgotten to take care of himself and that tangy smell in the air makes his stomach growl a hunger he hadn't been aware of. Artemis appears at the end of the short hallway in one of his gray T-shirts hanging over jean shorts and her blonde hair pulled into a messy bun. She bites her lip staring at him with wide pleading eyes. His throat constricts and his eyes burn wanting to give her good news but he can't. They still have nothing. He shakes his head. Artemis' gaze falls and she nods at the floor, takes a deep breath, and heads back toward the kitchen. Wally follows her unsure of what to say and leans on the breakfast bar separating the kitchen and den.

Slade knew that by taking Cassie he would send Dick over the edge. That's why he did it. No doubt. But did he know how much she meant to the rest of them? Did he want to hurt them all? Maybe it was just a happy coincidence. Either way, Wally can't escape the hollowness in his chest. Cassie and Dick are a part of his family. When he thinks of her he sees a ten year old with frizzy black hair tugging on his arm. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Wally tries not to imagine how Dick is feeling. It only makes the ache worse. A plastic cup clatters to the floor and Wally looks up to find Artemis trying to reach the strainer on the top shelf of the cabinet.

"I can get it if you want…" She stands on her tip toes stretching as far as she possibly can a stern look etched into her features but she's too short. Wally goes around the breakfast bar and gently places a hand on the small of her back easily reaching up and snatching the plastic handle. "I can finish," he rubs her shoulder and motions toward the breakfast bar, "Go sit. Relax or something." She looks toward the living room and scoffs shaking her head.

"Relax?" Absently, he reaches over and turns off the stove. It was a stupid suggestion. "How am I supposed to relax right now?" Her voice is strained and choked with emotion. He reaches to pull her into an embrace but she slips from beneath his hands and walks toward the den stopping in front of the couch and studying the news he hadn't noticed was on. For a moment Wally stands confused, then Cassie's face flashes on the screen and he finds himself standing at Artemis' side. He recognizes the picture, last year's school portrait; he has the same one framed on the bookcase next to the TV. Her face and bright smile fill up the entire screen, there's a flutter in his chest, what if this picture is the closest he ever gets to seeing that smile again. Beneath the picture, _Cassandra Rae Grayson. 16 yrs old. Gotham City Resident. Missing: 72+ hours. Information? Call 1-800-911-GCPD_, rolls across the screen in blinking letters. Wally reaches for the remote and turns up the volume listening to a women speak hoping to figure out how this became national news rather than just Gotham City local.

"…new information has come to light about Miss Grayson's case…" The picture shrinks into the top left corner of the screen and two newscasters are suddenly speaking to him. Wally rubs the back of his neck, whoever decided to make this a national story just made it ten times harder to find her because of the publicity alone. How is Dick supposed to get away? "…from non-other than Batman himself. America, as promised, we have the whole story for you." _Batman?_ Bruce had said he would talk to Gordon but Wally hadn't expected it to go national. Next to him Artemis sinks down onto the couch, the broadcaster continues, "Miss Grayson was reported missing earlier today by her father, Richard Grayson, the adoptive son of billionaire Bruce Wayne, after she had not returned home after two days. Her father explained to GCPD police commissioner, Jim Gordon, that this was not the first time which is why he was unconcerned until she hadn't shown up by Sunday evening." She pauses to consult her papers and Wally can feel his body tensing, hearing this on television makes it real in ways he never thought possible. "Mr. Grayson reported her missing and, not two hours after, Batman appeared at GCPD headquarters explaining that Miss Grayson's kidnapper had already been identified as… and… well I still can't quite believe it…" She trails off and looks at her fellow newscaster, a man with salt and pepper hair, who picks up the story.

"Yes, Anne, I can't believe it either. Many of you will remember the Grayson's from their tragedy almost 10 years ago when Mrs. Kori Grayson was murdered by the notorious criminal known as Slade. It was thought that Slade had been killed soon after while being pursued by the Teen Titans who lost a member as well, however, and I regret to inform you America, Sade did not die." Wally has to keep his mouth from falling open. Now it makes sense why this is national news, and it's obvious that Bruce wanted it that way, he could have just as easily kept that information to himself and prevented this but he didn't. "Even more horrible, Batman confirmed the Justice League's suspicion that it was Slade who took Miss Grayson and he also expressed concerns that her father may also be a target. As a result the League has decided to take Mr. Grayson into protective custody and lead the search for his daughter." Wally tunes out the next part of their conversation where they offer their prayers and positive thoughts to "Miss Grayson's family and friends" as if it would actually be any help anyway. Positive thoughts don't save people from psychopaths, heroes do, or they are supposed to at least. Right now it doesn't seem like they will ever find her. Angry with the thought Wally punches the power button on the remote silencing the newscasters. Going national with this was either very smart or extremely stupid; Wally just hasn't decided which yet, he's sure Dick must be having the same thought. If it did anything, that bit about putting Dick under protective custody did give him room to keep searching. Rattling breaths fill the air and it takes Wally a moment to realize they aren't coming from him.

"He really has her…" Wally gets down on his knees in front of Artemis sitting with her shoulders hunched forward and her arms wrapped around her as if trying to protect the life growing inside her from the pain she feels, "He's going to kill her!" Her lip trembles and her eyes are misty, "Or do something worse…" She's trying not to cry, it's obvious in the hard set of her jaw and the way she tries to blink back tears. Her voice is thin as a wire, "What are we going to do?" Wally takes her face in his hands wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"We are going to save her."


	31. Chapter 30

_A/N: These characters are the property of DC Nation. Thank you for your reviews and please keep the reviews coming!_

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Chapter 30:

Monday, 12 September 2013

6:27 PM

Tim's POV:

The media is like a flock of vultures. Every news station and talk show was being dominated by Cassie's disappearance. If these people were actually concerned Tim wouldn't mind, he might even appreciate their sympathy, but they didn't _really_ care that her loved ones were being torn to shreds with not knowing. No. All they cared about was the drama. Murder, kidnapping, drug wars, it didn't matter, it was dramatic. What made Bruce think it was a good idea to let the vultures get their hands on this story Tim can't fathom. He lays sprawled out on the parlor room couch unable to think of anything else to do. There is nothing left to do and that makes him want to lash out or cry but he can't even bring himself to do that. Helplessness isn't a familiar feeling. Or a welcome one. The door squeaks open directly followed by the sound of Dick's gruff weary voice.

"Wally isn't sure it's a good idea either…" Dick pockets his phone and stands before the couch watching something only he can see. His blue eyes are heavy with worry, gray bags hang beneath them, he needs to shave and his whole countenance lacks his usual confidence and ease. Slade took a part of him when he snatched Cassie. It's not enough though, they all know it. Slade has an endgame and odds are it involves both Cassie and Dick dead on the ground. Tim's throat constricts imagining losing both of them; maybe the lie about taking Richard Grayson into custody should be a reality.

"Look I know it was just to get the police off your back but…" Dick rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands and Tim swallows suddenly nervous, "Maybe you really are a target." Dick nods and drops his hand.

"He's not coming after me. Not yet." There's a tense moment in which neither of them can speak, "I'm exactly where he wants me." The helpless feeling creeps back into Tim's chest as he stares at the ceiling praying that wherever Cassie is she's still fighting. He should say something comforting, something optimistic, but he can't bring himself to lie to his brother or himself.

Dick moves to sit in an upholstered chair by the window, starring out into the setting sun. It paints the sky in warm oranges, pinks, and reds. The color is comforting in itself, soft yet bright, vivid but not overpowering. The sun is a sign that the world keeps going on no matter what. The sun will set and rise tomorrow, then it will set and rise again. Steady. Predictable. Beautiful. They watch in silence as it slowly crawls beneath the mountains and the dark blue of night creeps in to swallow the light. Tim scans the horizon line, a few tall buildings standing out against the ember-like light. He stares at the brightest part of the sun until he has spots in his vision and it's gone. He watches as the fourth day without Cassie comes to a close and the hope of finding her slowly diminishes like the light of day is consumed by the black of night.

Tim is startled from his thoughts by his phone vibrating in his pocket. It stops after one short burst and he considers ignoring the text message but soon it vibrates again and he pulls it from his pocket. He internally groans when Leslie's name is displayed across the screen, he hadn't wanted to talk to her earlier in person and he still didn't want to talk to her over text. Whenever he talked to her or spent time with her Cassie was always there, the association was too strong. It physically hurt. The phone buzzes again in his hand, a third text. He could just turn off the phone but it wouldn't make her go away, the messages would just come through once he turned it back on – he jerks into a sitting position staring down at the phone is his hand.

"What was that?" Tim registers Dick's voice but can't tear his eyes from the pixelated screen, "Tim? You okay?" His phone buzzes again, the vibrations shaking loose his ideas; _The messages will still go through. _His eyes wide Tim jumps up from the couch and heads for the door.

"C'mon we've got to get downstairs now," Dick narrows his eyes and doesn't stand, Tim yells at him. "Dick now! I think I just figured out how to get us a lead!" Tim holds up his phone and Dick is standing in front of him so fast Tim doesn't even process the chair is empty until Dick has Tim's phone in his tense fingers.

"The GPS in her phone is off, hell, her phone is off, you really think none of us thought of this?" Exasperated Tim motions toward the door but Dick remains planted holding the small black phone between them. Seeing no other way to make him move Tim points at the now blank screen.

"Text messages still go through, Dick." His brother pulls his eyebrows together not seeing the point. "Don't you get it? If you turn a phone off when you turn it back on the text message will come through." Dick stares down at the phone for a few seconds and Tim waits impatiently for him to understand.

"Yeah… so?"

"Slade doesn't want you yet, right? But what is the easiest way for him to let you know where she is once he does?" Dick holds up the cell phone in his hand, Tim can see the gears behind his eyes working through the idea. "Yeah, and what better way than to use Cassie's phone? Which means –"

"He's going to have to turn it on…"

"Yes! And if we send a tagged text message then the second it goes through we will know where she is." Tim doesn't wait and walks out the door toward the Bat Cave knowing Dick will be on his heels.


	32. Chapter 31

_A/N: These characters are the property of DC Nation. Love you guys so much! Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

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Chapter 31:

Tuesday; 13 September 2013

7:42 PM

Cassie's POV:

After being stuck in a steel box for what Cassie estimates to be at least three days you would think she would miss her family and her friends but she doesn't. It wasn't that she didn't miss them at all and they were never far from her thoughts, thinking about them was just hard. And emotional. Emotional was something she couldn't afford to be. What she really missed was the freedom to take a shower. The last time she showered was Friday morning and Slade had ambushed her right after a run with sweat covering her skin. Now she felt grimy and disgusting. Her hair is tangled and matted even though she combed her fingers through it and re-tied it, her skin feels tight and foreign, her clothes are stiff and saturated with dried sweat, and her mouth is slimy from lack of a toothbrush. She runs her tongue along her teeth cringing at the sensation, if she missed anything more than a shower it was her toothbrush.

Sitting in her corner in the far right of the room Cassie looks away when the steel door opens with a screech and Slade saunters down the steps carrying another blue TV tray this time featuring pasta, bread, and more pasta. Cassie snorts, he was giving her carbs because he was trying to force her to train. He crouches down and places the tray next to her feet, she stares at the wall in front of her refusing to look into his mask and bracing herself for what comes next.

"So..." he sighs an annoyed my-patience-is-wearing-thin kind of sigh, "Still holding on to that passive aggressive refusal are we?" Cassie continues to stare and wills herself not to flinch at that _we_. "You haven't even tried to escape yet. I'm surprised. It's really a letdown actually, I expected you to be a fighter." She can feel him watching her, like something coarse and thick is being laid over her. Cassie's flare for attitude gets the better of her and she rolls her eyes and once she does she has no choice but to keep going lest he know she failed to remain stoic.

"I think you forgot something…" Cassie looks at him directly, her eyes narrowed and shoulders relaxed trying to appear calm despite the fact that looking at him is the equivalent of staring into the face of her worst nightmares. She motions toward the tray with her eyes and looks back at him, "I'd like my water." He shifts forward on his feet, leaning so close to her face that she can see the red veins in his eye. Cassie won't let him call her bluff. She wills her heart to beat normally and forces herself not to jump. She smiles a saccharine smile, "Please."

"Of course." His entertained tone cuts through her and she bites the inside of her lip so she doesn't clench her fists. He stands and turns to leave but stops at the door his back to her. "Oh, there was some news of the outside world you might like to hear…" He angles his chin over his shoulder so that his eye is just visible over the curve of the mask. It's hard not to react. Slade was sadistic and if he had news it was meant to hurt her, to drive her into his plans. Whatever it is has to be personal. Had something happened to Tim? Wally? Her dad? A small part of her wonders if he somehow knows what announcement he'd disrupted on Friday night but she quickly squashes that thought. Whatever it is she's sure she doesn't want to know. Nerves choke her and plead for her silence but Slade is waiting for her to respond. Appearance is everything. She can't afford to be anything other than strong. Angry maybe. But not scared. Fear is not an option.

"Well?" Cassie leans her head back onto the wall and folds her arms across her chest to hide shaking hands, "The suspense is killing me." He chuckles good-naturedly and faces her more openly.

"You're famous kiddo, looks like Daddy-Dearest went to the police and the media." _He did what?_ "There's a whole country out there with your picture flashing across their TV, computer, and probably even their cell phone screens. And you're father has been taken into the Justice League's protective custody, but we both know what that really means, don't we?" He chuckles again and inclines his head toward Cassie who digs her nails into her elbow. "And that's not even the best part…" Cassie chews on the inside of her cheek and tastes blood, "Looks like Batman fessed up and everybody knows it was me." He gives one last satisfied laugh, announces that he will be back with her water, and slams the hatch behind him bolting it shut with a painful bang.

Alone again Cassie lets herself have a moment to let out the tension; inhaling and exhaling slowly to bring down her heart rate. She makes herself focus on what Slade told her, anything to keep herself under control. So the entire country new she was missing, there was no way that wasn't a conscious decision but what were they hoping it would do? It wouldn't scare Slade into thinking he was out of his league, her dad had to know that. Were they hoping to get tips from the general public? The League never worked like that, it was messy and unreliable and often more trouble than it was worth. Nightwing, let alone Batman, would never take that chance. Speaking of Batman, what did Slade mean that he "fessed up?" And how did they already know it was Slade? Less than a week ago he was dead! Cassie shakes her head, that wasn't important right now. The bigger picture was the national news story. Did they know it would get back to her? Cassie sucks in a breath and touches a hand to her cheek. Slade said her face was everywhere. She may be dirty and exhausted but she still had the same face so if she could get out odds are someone will recognize her. Someone had to. But would they really have put that information out just on the slim chance Cassie would find out and be able to break out? That was a pretty unlikely plan. Maybe it was a backup and they were working something else at the same time.

It's risky. Cassie gets up from her corner, it's the only spot she's ever been in and Slade knows it, when he comes back through that door this is where he'll be looking. Her legs are a little stiff because she hasn't been doing much other than simple exercise. The camera only gets the center of the room so she creeps around clinging to the walls like she's stalking a target. At the door she moves faster thankful that it doesn't open and smack her. On the left side of the door she stops, one hand pressed against the cool metal and her body poised to lunge – it's here that the second thoughts come. She doesn't even know what is outside this door, how is she supposed to get out of whatever is passed it? Slade isn't stupid either, it wouldn't have been smart to hold her somewhere highly populated. Odds are there aren't people around for miles. She looks back at her corner, if she hurried she could probably get back there and Slade would never know. Still if there was a chance she could get out and find some kind of help, even if it was just the recognition of a bystander, could she not take it? No. She had to. She forces back the doubts and anxiety. Now isn't the time for fear.

Adrenaline starts to swirl after a few moments of staring at the still door. It's just barely there but it's enough to snap her out of herself and let her think tactically again. A small comfort in itself. It feels like eons before the door finally opens and Slade appears clutching a water bottle. He steps down to the first step looking at the spot where Cassie normally remains, the adrenaline finally explodes through Cassie's veins and she lunges out of the corner. Her elbow comes down hard on his neck and he stumbles forward, Cassie jumps up to the top step and kicks him between the shoulders before he regains his balance. Then as a last minute decision she pulls the heavy door shut behind her and runs toward what she hopes is salvation.

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_A/N: Gotta love those cliff hangers right?_


	33. Chapter 32

_A/N: DC Nation holds the rights to these characters, I do not. Please continue with the reviews! I love hearing what you guys have to say!_

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Chapter 32:

Tuesday; 13 September 2013

7:50 PM

Dick's POV:

People are predicable. There is a whole science devoted to the study of behaviors. Free will and the freedom of choice have nothing to do with it. Yes, you still have the option to decide what you are going to do but your decision will always be one of several foreseeable possibilities and odds are you are going to pick the most obvious one. Therefore surprise is an illusion. You can't be surprised by someone's actions because they chose to act out of character – because they didn't. You couldn't see the possibility. They didn't do anything unusual. Everyone is the same. Criminals are just as predictable. Even the psycho ones.

"He never left Gotham?" Dick stares up at the three red circles covering most of the lower east side of Gotham City in frustrated disbelief. After tagging a text and sending it to Cassie's phone they didn't have much else to do but wait, naturally that hadn't sat well with anyone. It was a long shot but Dick had an idea soon after, if they could track the GPS in her phone up until the point it was shut off and then dig through international databases until they found the calls they made after that there was a chance they could at least narrow their search area. Thanks to the collective technological talents of Dick, Tim, Walle, and Bruce they had done just that.

"According to these cell towers…" Tim points at the red laced map from his swivel chair, "they're somewhere on the east side." Dick considers the screen, a triangulation of the three cell towers which processed their calls at the right times had given them a search area that consisted of the Narrows with plenty of people willing to aid a psycho if the pay was good and the entire south-east corner of the island which meant hundreds of warehouses. He folds his arms tightly across his chest, how had he not seen this as a possibility? Slade knew the first thing Dick would do was check all his old haunts so why would he go back? And on top of it he had to know Cassie wouldn't go easily so he had to take her somewhere relatively close or risk losing her in transit. Gotham was always a possibility. Dick was just too emotional to see it.

"No according to these cell towers Cassie's cell phone is somewhere on the east side." Dick glares at Bruce standing on the other side of Tim, "Cassie might not be."

"She's there." Bruce looks at Dick for the first time since he picked him up from GCPD in full cowell and cape the day before. His expression is stern, he falls seamlessly back into the role of mentor despite the cold stares he's earned.

"Slade is methodical and calculated, what makes you so sure he didn't ditch her phone? That is one of the easiest ways to track her down. We all know it. Keeping that is just a lia –"

"You know what else we all know?" Bruce abruptly stops talking at Dick's interruption. All of the tension and anger between them reminds Dick of when he was a teenager and had to leave for Titan's Tower because he couldn't stand being with his father anymore. It took years then for them to reconcile, after this though, after he lied about Slade's death, Dick doesn't think he will ever be able to look at him the same way again. Never be able to trust him again. Never be able to call him family again. He was around because he was the so-called world's greatest detective and that was it. "The easiest way to get me there is to tell me where she is, and the easiest way to do that is to turn on that cell phone. So no he hasn't tossed the phone!" Next to him Walle places a warning hand on his shoulder; _don't lose it now, he's not worth the time. _Dick steadies himself, Walle's right, they had already lost most of the fifth day. Time was running out.

"That's a lot of area to cover, thousands of places he could be holding her…" Walle steps forward leaning on the console he studies the screen intently and turns to Dick, "What do you want to do?" Dick can feel every set of eyes on him waiting for an order. Looking up at the map Dick is overwhelmed by the enormity of the space and he starts to feel hot. There really are thousands of places to keep someone in the Narrows alone, and the Narrows only make up a part of this map.

"If we are going to find anything it's going to be in there somewhere," Tim starts typing away on the console again and Dick looks down at his shoes. Searching would be like looking for a needle in a haystack but there was bound to be something somewhere. Still even with four well-trained heroes all searching together odds aren't in their favor. "I'll call the Titans, see if we can't get more man power behind this."

"We have to keep this discreet though, if he sees us getting close he might move her." Dick nods, Walle has a valid point. "We want Barbara, M'Gann, Raven, probably Artemis too but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. Superboy and Cy aren't the most subtle out of all of us. Maybe we should leave them behind?"

"Walle look at that map, we need man power."

"Well whatever we are going to do…" The best friends turn from each other to face Tim pointing up at the map now covered in bright green, "We need to do it now because anything we can possibly find is about to be washed away." Dick feels himself sink lower knowing whatever slim chance this plan offered just became slimmer.


	34. Chapter 33

_A/N: Don't hate me for leaving you guys hanging like that, I'm picking it back up now. No need to get angry! haha Keep the reviews coming! I love hearing all the feedback!_

_I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation._

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Chapter 33:

Tuesday, 13 September 2013

8:12 PM

Cassie's POV:

The door didn't close behind her. Her heart pounding and body screaming and the only thing she can seem to focus on is that she didn't hear the hatch close behind her or stop to lock it. _Stupid!_ It's too late to think of that now though, when she left her cell she stepped into a cavernous boiler room, which meant she's in a ship. A ship means lots of turns and hallways. It means it will be easy to get lost – trapped. A set of stairs to a catwalk and another hatch catches her eye and she bolts toward it. Her legs burn running up the stairs but she keeps moving, if she stops she's dead.

The hatch opens up to a hallway and she turns back and forth her body shaking with adrenaline. _Left or right?_ Cassie has no idea where she is going and either choice could be the wrong one. There are no signs to help her and no way for her to make an educated guess. She spins in a circle and sees that Slade isn't on her tail but somehow that makes her more nervous and she has to bite her lip to keep from making any noise. Leaving that room was stupid. In there at least she always knew where he was. He's coming and she's completely exposed. This was a mistake. Her chest tightens and her lungs feel like they won't work anymore. _Don't panic._ Cassie whips around thinking someone spoke but the voice is only in her head. _Cassie, what are you supposed to do?_ Her heart aches hearing her dad's voice but knowing he isn't really there.

"Don't think." Cassie whispers aloud, "Just move," she takes a step toward the right. She picks up her pace until she's running again. "And keep moving." And she doesn't stop, turning whichever way her body happens to be leaning whenever she comes to another hallway. She scrapes up every staircase hoping it's taking her toward the surface. Twice she hits a dead end but finally she finds a closed hatch and beyond the porthole she sees rain pounding on the deck.

The steel door screeches open but she doesn't care about the sound because she's outside in the rain. Fat cold drops land on her skin and she laughs thrilled that the dirt and grime are being washed from her person. In seconds she is drenched, hair clinging to the side of her face and neck. Cassie's body relaxes feeling an inkling of safety for the first time since she was taken but the feeling is soon forced away by her father's voice in her head; _Why are you stopping? Let's go!_ _Just because you're out doesn't mean you are safe! Now!_ She shakes her head and wipes water from her eyelashes, he's right, she's got to move. Below her the ship expands dark and desolate into the night, it's large, either a trade ship or a small cargo ship, and it's docked to a concrete stretch of land which can only mean the docks. And by the looks of it, it's one of the old ships the city just doesn't know what to do with so it's been sitting here for a while. To her right she sees a metal staircase leading down to the main deck, and down is where she needs to go so she jogs toward it squinting against the rain. She grips the railing to steady herself on the slippery metal steps but her hand slides when she's hit hard in the back and sent rolling down the stairs.

The back of her head smacks painfully against the bottom step and various parts of her body burn from the fall and she's sure that the stitches on her arm rip back open. Slade sent her tumbling down the steps and now he was coming to finish the job. Cassie forces herself to get up and is pulled the rest of the way to her feet by her ponytail. Between the rain falling into her eyes and the black spots floating in her vision she can't see him as anything other than a black mass holding her by the jaw. She blinks the rain out of her eyes and falling down her cheeks like tears. Cassie will not go back in there without a fight. Standing so close to him the easiest option is to knee him in the groin so that's what she does. He doubles over but reaches out and takes hold of her jacket before she can run. Again she knees him but this time in the face, his grip doesn't slacken. Seeing no other option she unzips her jacket and lets it fall from her shoulders. The cold bites her skin.

Regrettably, removing the jacket is just a temporary fix, before she can take more than three steps back Slade is barreling toward her. He's more massive so she sidesteps him and he ends up blocking her path to the dock. Again he comes toward her but slowly, he knows he has the advantage. Backed up against the staircase Cassie smiles, he doesn't have as much of an advantage as he thinks, she turns and runs to the top with the plan to flip over him. Slade dives forward however and pulls her leg out from under her before she can reach a high enough step. One ankle bursts with pain and the rest of her body follows suit as it again slides down the steps but this time minus the jacket. At the bottom of the stairs she crashes into Slade and tries to push off of him with her feet despite the injured ankle. Slade catches her leg and pulls her down under him placing his knee painfully on her thigh so she can't get any leverage to squirm out. This is a bad place to be. Cassie throws her elbow up hitting him beneath the jaw and sending him backwards slightly, another punch to his chest and he goes back further. His weight shifts mostly onto the knee pinning her leg down and she groans against the pain but keeps going, a little further and he will fall backwards. His fist connects with her ear and she leans toward the side shaking out the ringing with one hand held up to block more punches. The second she gets the chance she punches him again but he deflects the blow and grabs her injured elbow. He digs his fingers into the newly opened cut and rain fills her mouth when she screams.

Her body is covered in a mixture of blood and rain and it burns with every muscle she tenses but she can't stop fighting. Her pinned leg is starting to go numb from either the cold or from Slade's weight and yet her ankle still manages to throb. Her hands are really all she has at the moment. Slade has one arm and with the other she punches him hard in the throat, it has the desired effect, he starts to cough but he quickly recovers himself and punches the side of her head. Cassie falls back onto the steps, one digging into her shoulders. The rain is still pouring but she can't hear it hit the metal all around her and she tries again to blink away the black spots but they just seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Somehow she remembers she's supposed to be fighting back and tires to push herself up onto her right side. Hands wrap around her shoulders and pull her up then she's falling fast and the black spots meld into one.


	35. Chapter 34

_A/N: And I didn't keep you guys waiting on what happens to Cassie, okay? Thanks for the reviews! I can't wait to hear more of what you guys have to say. _

_DC Nation owns these characters, I do not._

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Chapter 34:

Wednesday, 13 September 2013

3:48 AM

Cassie's POV:

At first she doesn't get it. There's a light. A harsh white light staring back at her. Cassie has no problem looking at it until it moves side to side and she squints raising her hand to shield her eyes only her hand doesn't come. The light shuts off. She turns her head to the side trying to escape the lingering bright spot in her vision. The movement hurts her head but something keeps her fingers from rubbing her temples. Her thoughts feel sluggish and the more she tries to think the more it hurts. Then she remembers – _Get off the stairs!_ She's being held down but it isn't Slade on top of her, she isn't even outside anymore, instead she is tied down back in the boiler room. Angry she kicks out her uninjured right foot and feels the flesh of her ankle burn as something holding her in place tears at it. Cassie lifts her head and looks down at herself bound to a table by chains on her feet and handcuffs at her wrists. Seeing the bruised skin and bloody sports bra she finally gets it – she lost. She lets her head fall back onto the table and winces when it explodes with sharp pin-pricks.

"Careful," Cassie turns her head toward the sound and glares. Somehow it isn't very hard to act like she isn't afraid when all she feels is hate. "I slammed you into that stair case pretty good, wouldn't want you to knock yourself back out again." He leans on the wall next to the hatch that leads to her previous cell, "Might not wake back up." There's a smile in his voice.

"Somehow I don't think I'd be that lucky." She stares back at the ceiling pulling gently on the handcuff binding her right wrist. The muscles are sore and her elbow feels as though it is being repeatedly stabbed. The handcuff is sturdy, nothing seems to be catching in the chain and there is no room for her to move her hand at all without metal pinching the skin.

"You aren't getting out of those," Slade moves off the wall and comes toward her on the table, Cassie tries to slide away but she can only go so far with the handcuff digging into her arm, "Stop struggling you're just making yourself bleed." He steps behind her and Cassie hears him sifting through materials she can't see, some sound metallic and others plastic. She looks down at her right elbow, blood spilling from the cut she'd gotten at the fire. "Now that I know I haven't killed you I should probably stitch that up." He steps back into her sight placing what she recognizes as a suture kit down next to her right shoulder. He grips her elbow just below the blood and Cassie pulls it as best she can out of his grasp, she can't get out but she can make it hard for him to look at it. He lets go seemingly unaffected and pulls a tourniquet from the suture kit, tying it just below her bicep tighter than he probably has to.

"Don't touch me!" Cassie pulls as hard as she can on the handcuff circling her right hand but the only thing she accomplishes is to get up on her left elbow and rub her skin raw.

"I am trying to help you." Slade places his hands down on the edge of the table and cocks his head at her, posture that makes her feel like she's a child doing something amusing.

"Help me?" She's pushed her body to the left edge of the table all of the restraints on her right side pulling her back toward him, she yanks angrily at her right hand and the handcuff's edge draws blood. "If you want to help me then let me go!" Slade looks down at her wrist sitting in another small puddle and coldly surveys her struggle to get free. He sighs and moves back to where she couldn't see him before, but at this angle she can. He goes to a metal desk with several opaque plastic boxes on them, from one he pulls a small glass bottle, and from another smaller box he pulls a syringe. Cassie's heart rate picks up. She can feel it beating just above the tourniquet. She struggles harder.

"You know I really couldn't figure out why you hadn't tried to escape." He fills the syringe with whatever is in the bottle, makes sure there is no air in the needle's shaft and walks back to her right side. "Then I remembered you were smart." He waves the needle nonchalantly, "You don't just go charging blindly, you pick your battles." Cassie pulls at her right arm, it's going numb from the tourniquet. "Figured that out at the fire." She abruptly stops tugging at her arm, _the fire at the mall?_ He twirls the syringe, Cassie remembers the day and that they never caught the mastermind behind it.

"It was you…" Her heart flutters, Slade was behind the fire. "You were the one that ran away." Cassie tries to pull away harder, "You were watching me." How long had he been there and she never knew?

"Of course it was me." He steps forward and clamps down on her arm dragging her back across the table, Cassie makes a sound somewhere between a yelp and groan. Slade sticks the needle into her with a quick sharp motion, "Had to make sure I knew you as well as I know your dad didn't I?" He pushes the plunger down, removes the needle, and loosens his grip but does not let go.

Her mind still reeling from the revelation that Slade was behind the fire, Cassie continues to struggle even though she knows its futile; whatever he shot her up with she can't fight. Each limb starts to mimic her right arm and feel heavy and numb. She leans into the support Slade's hand on her arm offers involuntarily. It feels wrong using him for support and she wants to stop but her body won't respond. He lays her back down on the table. Cassie thinks it's odd that he's so gentle. Maybe he is trying to help. She's vaguely aware of something pinching her right arm. Her body is so heavy she can't even turn her head to look and see what it is. Somehow she feels like she should already know, but her thoughts slip and slide over each other too fast for her sluggish brain to grasp. The only thing she can really process is that she desperately wants to move.


	36. Chapter 35

_A/N: I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for all your commentary, keep it coming!_

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Chapter 35:

Wednesday, 13 September 2013

5:24 AM

Dick's POV:

Eventually you get used to everything. Doesn't matter what it is. Sprained ankle? Give it a week and you'll stop noticing the pain before it actually heals. Pouring rain? Stand outside for a few hours and you won't notice the cold anymore. After over nine hours of searching in the rain Dick doesn't even notice it's still beating down on him. They had covered so much ground but no one had found anything. A search team of twelve super heroes and they found nothing. It takes everything Dick has not to fall to his knees in the alley where he waits for Robin.

"I hate to say this…" Robin falls out of the shadows and lands in a crouch next to him.

"Then don't."

"I don't think we are going to find anything in this rain." Straightening up Robin shrugs. Dick bites his lip tasting the very rain that has ruined their chances of finding anything. "Anything physical at least…" Dick doesn't react, just keeps staring at the street. Maybe after hearing bad news for so long he had gotten used to that too. "And we can't just question everyone. We have to work smarter than that." He talks slowly, like he's afraid to set Dick off, "You in there?"

"Yeah." Dick turns from the street and looks at his little brother, his hair is pressed against his head and water drips from the bottom of his cape, "Yeah, you're right." His voice is flat. Hopeless. Did he really think hope was lost? Dick told himself he didn't, there was always hope but was he really just lying to himself? Slade was his greatest foe and he couldn't beat him. He thought he had but that was a lie. Every day Cassie was gone was like a slap to the face showing him exactly how useless and wrong he was.

"Do you want me to…?" Robin points to his ear where the com link rests. Dick shakes his head and sends a message to everyone searching before he can convince himself it's a mistake.

"This is Nightwing." He takes a shaky breath finding it hard to speak, "We've been at this for hours and the rain is washing away anything potentially useful to us. Head home guys." Dick swallows his eyes burning behind the mask. This was the right move but it felt wrong. Like he was abandoning her. His whole face is steaming and he leans his head back trying to pull it together because Tim is standing two feet away. Wally's voice comes over the com link.

"Are you sure?" Dick lets his head fall. He wants to say _No, of course I'm not sure!_ But he doesn't. Breathing isn't easy anymore like the rain is filling his lungs and drowning him.

"We're done here…" He stares down at the floor hating himself. "I'm calling off the search." He shuts off the com link and stumbles toward the back of the alley leaning heavily on the wall for support. Robin grabs him arm and Dick lets himself fall to the floor his knees to shaky to sustain his weight any longer. It feels like he just gave up on Cassie by calling off the search. Like he accepted that there is nothing he can do to save her. Robin kneels in front of him pressing his shoulders to a wall and telling him to breath. Dick shakes his head the one thing he feels like he can't do is breath. Tears start to spill over his eyes and there is no stopping them, they fill his mask until he can't see so he has to pull it off.

"You're having a panic attack." Tim grabs Dick beneath the chin and tries to force him to look up but Dick tries to push him away. "Dick you have to stop fighting me and breathe." He doesn't stop fighting but his heart isn't in it and he doesn't manage to do more than push weakly at Tim's arms and chest. "Dick you're exhausted and wound up you have to stop." Dick lets his head fall back onto the wall sucking in rain with hiccupping breaths. "You need to breath. It's going to be okay."

"It's going to be okay?" Dick rolls his head back and forth on the wall, "No it's not!" He's screaming, and he knows he shouldn't be. They are in the Narrows and he isn't wearing his mask anymore, screaming could draw attention they don't want. He wipes at his running nose and remembers Cassie crying on Friday morning with a pain like someone stabs him in the heart. "I just gave up looking for my daughter!" Dick fights harder against Tim's hands on his shoulders, he didn't deserve anyone's help after what he just did.

"No you didn't you –"

"She's out here somewhere…" He looks down the street through the rain and imagines he could just walk into the first door he sees and find her sitting on the floor but he can't. "She's out here somewhere alone and scared. Probably bleeding or dying and I'm sitting here calling off the search!" He feels like he's about to vomit, the bile taste rising in his throat.

"Yeah, you called off a search that was going nowhere but you did it so that we can go find a better way to look for her." Dick grabs a hold of Tim's uniform balling up the material in his fists not sure if he is pushing his brother away or trying to pull him closer. "But you did not call off the search Dick. You are still looking for her, we all are." Tim's face is stern and his grip on Dick's shoulders is sturdy. Dick hiccups a few breaths until his arms grow weak and his heart beats less erratically, his head leaning on the wall.

"I feel like I gave up on her." Dick's lip quivers and he bites it waiting for a new bout of panic. "I gave up on my little girl." He stares down at his gloves not sure if he's watching tears or rain drops hit them

"You did not give up on her." Tim shakes him so his head leans back on the wall. "And you are not going to. None of us are." Dick's chest heaves, everything inside him being strangled by guilt and fear and regret. "Cassie is a tough girl. You trained her that way and she will hold on until we find her. And we will find her." Dick nods and Tim helps him to his feet. He's shaky and finally feels the extent of how emotionally and physically exhausted he is. Tim gave him back some of that hope that he'd forgotten about but leaving that alley he again starts to feel the cold of the rain as it beats relentlessly onto his body.


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Wednesday, 14 September 2013

4:22 PM

Tim's POV

Tim's hand slips from his cheek and he wakes startled. He rubs his eyes and slaps himself a few times to snap out of the sleepy haze.

"Go upstairs and get some sleep." Bruce doesn't turn from the screen filled with footage from nearly every security camera in the city. Tim runs a hand through his hair and clears his throat.

"I'm fine."

"I sedated Dick and I will do the same to you if I have to." Tim stares down at his hands, they had no choice but to sedate Dick after they got back from searching, he would have driven himself crazy if he hadn't already. "Go upstairs Tim." He looks up at Bruce too tired to narrow his eyes. Everyone was exhausted and frustrated but Bruce just stayed cold and stoic. Tim knows that underneath he is probably just as torn up, if not more from the guilt, but he doesn't show it. Somehow it's appropriate. If anyone deserved to suffer in silence it was Bruce. Tim glances back at the blur of fast-playing videos on the screen and exhales pushing himself back from the console.

Upstairs he stops by Dick's old bedroom, two doors down from Tim's where they had carried him after the sedative knocked him out. The sedative wore off hours ago but he was so exhausted he had yet to wake up. Dick's face is slack but he doesn't look relaxed, his body is flat against the mattress but his positioning isn't natural he's too rigid, legs and arms straight. That was the difference between forced sedation and voluntary rest; sedation wasn't rest at all at least not in the ways that mattered. Tim closes the door and heads toward his room, inside he stares at his bed for a few moments, pulls a sweatshirt from his closet and over his head, and then leaves in favor of the kitchen hoping food will be more inviting than sleep. He only brings himself to pour a glass of water and sit at the wooden table in the corner of the room where Alfred usually eats spinning the glass cup with his fingertips and watching the water ripple at his touch. Several hundred ripples later there's a rapping at the doorway and Tim looks up from his trance.

"There is someone here for you Sir." Alfred stands stiffly in the doorway a concerned expression etched into his face. Tim knits his eyebrows together. "A Miss Thompkins I believe." Tim rubs his forehead, Leslie was not someone he wanted to see right now. Not with Dick sedated upstairs. Not with Bruce downstairs sifting through dead ends. And not with Cassie gone. "Sir she did come all this way, and in the rain too." Alfred gives him a knowing look and leaves, returning quickly with Leslie at his heels. After a polite goodbye he leaves her standing in the doorway clutching her school bag to her side.

"Hey…" Her hazel eyes flit around the room avoiding Tim's face. She still has on her school uniform underneath a thick black coat that's dusted with rain and her hair is frizzy with moisture. Tim decides he regrets not going to sleep. Leslie scratches the side of her nose with a bitten down finger nail and finally looks at him with wide sad eyes. "You look terrible." Tim feels a tight smile, Cassie would have said the same thing.

"Did you really drive all the way out here just to tell me that?"

"No." She looks at her shoes and hugs her bag closer to her side, her voice is smaller when she speaks again. "I didn't know where else to go." Tim fights the urge to walk out of the room, this is why Leslie is the last person he wants to see. Someone who reminds him of Cassie wanting to talk about Cassie. "Everybody at school is pathetic. Cassie goes missing and suddenly everyone is her best friend. It's disgusting." Tim nods in agreement, and pushes the water away from him. "And they talk about her like she's already gone. You know they actually had a moment of silence for her today during first period…" she wrings her hands around the strap of her bag until her knuckles turn white and her voice wavers on the edge of tears, "the whole time all I wanted to do was stand up and scream 'She's not dead!' but I doubt they would have even heard me."

"Probably not." A tear drips from her right eye and Tim stands up to bring her his unused glass of water. Leslie wipes the tear away and bites her lip to stop it trembling and wraps her thin fingers around the glass. "Leslie, why are you here?"

"Because," Her voice is a strangled whisper, "I thought that out of everyone you…" The glass starts to shake and Tim places a hand around it to steady her grip. She meets his gaze, her hazel eyes watery and sad. "Look my parents tip-toe around me like they are afraid to set me off, everyone at school drives me crazy and the stupid counselors they brought in don't know anything and I just thought, well hoped really, that you would understand." She wipes another tear away, "You are probably closer to Cassie than I am so… anyway, that's why I'm here." Leslie pulls her hand free of Tim's and takes a sip from the water looking around awkwardly at everything in the room except Tim. He finds himself imagining what school is like right now, everyone running around claiming to be Cassie's friend and talking about her in the past tense, he exhales tersely, if he had to deal with that for seven hours a day he probably would have killed someone by now. "If you want me to leave I understand. It was kind of crazy of me to drive all the way out here to begin wi –"

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" Leslie's mouth drops open a bit like she is surprised by his question. Tim himself hadn't known he was going to ask until the words left his mouth. She nods without much conviction and Tim points to the table he had been sitting at when she came in. "Have a seat, I'll go start the coffee pot." He isn't entirely sure why he is letting her stay or subjecting himself to what he expects to be a few hours of verbal and emotional torture but he knows he needs to do it. Leslie is the only civilian friend he has who could possibly understand how horrible he feels.


	38. Chapter 37

_A/N: Forewarning, this chapter is pretty intense and I wrestled a lot with writing it or not. Ultimately I'm glad I did because I feel like it adds a layer to both Cassie and Slade's characters that I wouldn't have been able to put in other wise. I'd be very interested to know what you think of my decision. Thanks for reading and reviewing! _

_These characters are the property of DC Nation, they are not mine._

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Chapter 37:

Wednesday, 14 September 2013

7:32 PM

Cassie's POV:

Waking up back in the steel box she spent so much time in Cassie isn't sure if she should be happy or not. It was better than being chained to a table with Slade standing over her. Not much better. But better. She stares up at the black ceiling various parts of her body radiating pain and cold shocks running through her body now that her jacket isn't protecting her back from the cold metal. Her left ankle feels tighter than it should and when she rolls the joint it crackles with sharp pin-pricks. Cassie exhales, it's just a sprain, that pain is tolerable. What really hurts is her back. The skin feels tight and stretched too thin and laying on it burns so much she wants to pull it off. Cassie inhales a deep breath and lets her eyes fall shut, pain is something she's used to. _You've had worse._ She cracks her neck, the snap sending shocks through the back of her skull. _Suck it up._ She pushes herself up onto her elbows, her body still heavy from the sedative. "Well that could have gone better." She looks around the room instinctually looking for an escape route but quickly drops the idea, she wasn't going to get another chance like that from inside here. Slade had her at his mercy. When the hatch opens Cassie looks at her feet and hardens herself.

"Get up." Cassie fixes her gaze on him and crosses her injured left ankle over her right one. She couldn't escape but she didn't have to do what he said and for now that small rebellion would have to do. "Now." His voice is dangerously malevolent. Cassie shrugs and wiggles her toes. They stare at each other intently for a moment, she'll regret this later, she knows it but it's too late to back down now. Slade bends forward seizes her left arm and yanks her upright. "You will learn to follow orders."

"Not from you." His grip on her tightens and she wills herself not to react. "Ever." Slade would never get what he wanted from her even if she had to die to keep him from having it. He drops her arm and Cassie takes a few steps back conscious of the four walls around her.

"You're just like your father." Cassie bites her tongue, Slade had no right talking about her dad. He knew nothing about either of them. Slade steps forward and Cassie steps back, in his hand he clenches some kind of black fabric and Cassie's first thought is he is about to put something over her head. Another step and she can feel the cold radiating off the back wall against her shoulder blades. "He didn't appreciate what I did for him either."

"What you did for him?" Cassie's hand balls into a fist she can't send at this face. "You must be crazier than I thought because sending someone cryptic threats, threatening their friends, kidnapping them and forcing them to do your dirty work is definitely not something worth appreciating." Her chest heaves with anger, "Not to mention killing their wife." She stares at him feeling a lifetimes worth of hate and pain boiling inside of her.

"I made him better." He takes a small step forward but Cassie holds her ground. "He wouldn't be the man he is today if it wasn't for me." _You're right, he'd be happier. We both would_. "I could have taught him more too but he was stupid and let the chance slip through his fingers." She's clenching her hand so tight it shakes. "Now I'm offering you the same opportunity and you are just as keen to throw it away. Think about all I've done for you already…" _You_ _destroyed my life before it even got started._ "Tended to your wounds. Cleaned you up. Kept you fed."

"Plucked me off a sidewalk, locked me in a steel box for God knows how long…" The stitches in her arm throb from the tension in her fist.

"I'm giving you an opportunity." Cassie scoffs and turns away shaking her head. This part she could guess; become his apprentice and learn his ways, eliminate all those distractions like morals and ethics, then one day inherit all he's stolen. Cassie would rather be strapped down to that table again and tortured to death. "Until you realize that however," He tosses her the wad of black fabric. Cassie pinches the material between her fingers, it's a training shirt and pants made of low quality microfiber; a less refined version of what her uniform is made of. "Change." She holds the fabric and considers throwing it to the floor but her clothes are filthy and blood covered so she decides against it and looks up expectantly but Slade doesn't move.

"Turn around."

"No." Cassie narrows her eyes at him, if he won't turn then she won't change. She's about to throw the wad to the ground when she realizes that's probably exactly what he wants her to do. Everything Slade did was meant to push her, tantalize her, nothing was without purpose. So she goes against instinct.

"Fine." She takes her time speaking, "If you won't, I will." Turning her back on a potentially hostile threat is a terrible idea and she inwardly cringes imagining the lecture she would get. To make it worse turning her back on a threat and proceeding to strip is an even worse idea and she's afraid to imagine what her dad would do to her but it's also the best way to make herself seem less intimidated than she is. Facing the wall she forces herself to stay calm and just get it done fast. She places the new clothes between her knees and takes a deep breath to steady herself before pulling her sports bra over her head. With her chest exposed and back now completely bare Cassie feels colder than before. She pulls the shirt from between her legs and threads her arms through the long sleeves about to pull it over her head when she feels Slade's hands on her.

He pushes her up against the wall, one hand wrapped around the back of her neck and the other digging into the curve of her hip. Cassie struggles to get out from under his grip but her arms are pressed against the wall stuck inside the loop of fabric and Slade presses his whole frame against her back side until there is no space between them or her and the wall. Her body freezes. This wasn't something she had expected, Slade was sick and crazy but he wasn't this sick. His hand travels slowly up her side leaving trails on her skin so cold she feels she might turn to ice. She wants to say something or do something but she can't move. Training prepared her for these kinds of situations but this was Slade and no amount of training could have prepared her for this. His hand starts to creep toward her chest and Cassie pushes further into the wall trying to get away. Criminals had put their hands on her before but never had she felt so violated. Never had she been unable to take herself out of the situation, if not physically then mentally or emotionally. And never had she been so sure that her attacker could do whatever he wanted to her and she would be powerless to stop him. He leans in close to her ear, the hand on her neck preventing her from turning away.

"There are much worse things I could do to you." His hand slips from her chest down to her stomach. She cringes away from his touch only pressing her back further into him behind her; there is nowhere to run. His other hand leaves her neck and pushes between her shoulder blades, a rattled breath escapes her lips and she closes her eyes when his fingers slide from her stomach and just barely underneath the waist band of her shorts, "Appreciate that." He presses his hand to her lower back and just like that he's gone.

Once the hatch slams shut she hurriedly pulls the shirt over her head and makes her way to her corner. She can still feel his hands on her like his touched burned her skin and left her scarred. Cassie pulls her knees into her chest wrapping her arms around them and rests her forehead on their scrapped surfaces finally unable to keep the tears back.


	39. Chapter 38

_A/N: Thanks for sticking with me you guys! Keep the comments coming! These characters are the property of DC Nation and not myself. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 38:

Thursday, 15 September 2013

6:12 AM

Dick's POV:

The sky is a never ending black mass spilling rain onto the windows and Dick stares wondering if the sun will ever shine again. He grounds himself in the moment, focusing on the cold tile pressed against the pads of his feet. If he really wanted to, he could pretend it was still Tuesday night. The sky is still back like night and the rain continues pounding the Earth. It would be easy to pretend he hadn't wasted an entire day asleep in bed. Dick runs his hands over his face rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He should be disgusted with himself. He wants to be. But a part of him knows it was for the best, his body feels stronger and his mind sharper. He turns and heads for the Bat-Cave, one day of rest was justifiable but he wouldn't waste any more time. Tim meets him at the entrance apparently leaving the Cave.

"Hey…" Tim steps back and surveys Dick, his blue eyes squinted and pulled together. Dick nods at him, the last time he talked to Tim he had been hysterical; crying and blubbering like a panicked civilian. He shifts uncomfortably underneath Tim's gaze embarrassed at the memory. Tim smiles weakly at him his eyes opening up wider, "I was about to go make sure you were still alive." The corner of Dick's mouth goes up.

"Well, I thought I'd save you the trip." Tim gives him a gratified smile but it's so thin and fake he might as well as not have tried. Dick's licks his lips, they are dry, cracked, and probably pale; he had been afraid to look in a mirror. What would he see? A poor excuse for the man he used to be – the man he should be. He passes a hand over his hair pressing down the parts that stick up from the pillow, "C'mon, show me what you've got."

"Not much." They turn and descend into the Cave, Tim talking over his shoulder. "I'm having the computer run facial recognition off every security camera in the area we searched Tuesday but so far it hasn't turned up anything." Dick watches the screen change repeatedly showing a coffee shop one second a busy street the next and a thousand different places after that. Each one with new people and faces but none with Cassie. "It still could though." Dick feels pressure on his shoulder from Tim's reassuring gesture but it doesn't do him much good. Searching for one face in a sea of thousands wasn't easy. Searching for a face that was being hidden by an A-list criminal, well, that was practically impossible. Dick places his palms on the console staring up at the screen.

"What's your starting time stamp?"

"Friday at about 10:00 PM." Dick looks behind him and Tim shrugs, "That's about when we estimate Slade took her so he had to have entered this area sometime after." Dick nods and looks back at the screen still flashing different faces and locations. Looking for Cassie's face in the midst of all that was unlikely at best and realistically impossible but if they had some kind of specific information – something to build around. Cassie's school catches Dick's eye on the map and he stares it down. It felt like such an obvious move, how could he not have thought of it before? "Care to share with the class Dick?"

"We know Slade took her into that general area right?" Dick pulls up the map they had established using the cell phone towers and Tim mumbles an affirmation behind him. "But that's all we know, he could be holding her anywhere inside of this radius," Dick points toward the center of the circle, his eyes darting all over the map. "Searching this again is pointless until we have something to help us narrow it down…" Tim waves a hand in front of Dick's face and he turns to stare at his brother, his mouth still slightly open from being disrupted.

"Dude, what are you getting at?"

"We're looking in the wrong spot." He points back to the map, "We have no idea what happened inside this area, we don't even know when they got there but we do know where they were at approximately 10:00 PM Friday night." Dick's finger moves to Gotham Academy, a large square on the map in the middle of downtown. Tim claps him on the back and sits down in the black swivel chair furiously typing away changing the parameters of his search.

"And if we look for her in the area surrounding GA around then we can find something useful." Tim hijacks every security system and data service within a two mile radius of the school and sets the computer to scan for Cassie's face between 7:00 PM and 12:00 AM then lets it go. It flips from frame to frame while they watch waiting for her face to register somewhere. The screen flashes red, Dick's heart flutters with relief thinking it worked, and a com link with Batman's picture pops up the screen. Dick turns from the screen his heart sinking and resentment rising in his throat.

"Joker finally decided to crawl out of his hole." Bruce's voice comes through the speakers deeper than it naturally sounds. Dick never understood why he talked that way to Tim or even himself, it's not as if he had to hide his identity from them. "Meet me on the roof of the GCPD." Dick wants to scream. Who cares what the Joker is doing? They already have a case; find Cassie. "Both of you." Dick scoffs and smiles angrily to himself, of course Bruce still thought he had the right to demand Dick's help.

"You don't have to go." Tim's posture suggests he is just as annoyed with their father as Dick is, that knowledge somehow makes Dick feel worse. Just because Dick and Bruce would likely never reconcile didn't mean that Tim should lose his father as well. "We'll be just fine." Tim's voice rises with an angry tinge.

"No." Dick watches the video feed chewing on his lower lip. Cassie would call him a hypocrite for standing by while the Joker rampaged and put innocent people in danger. He can imagine the annoyed look on her face and hear her complaining that he didn't believe in her abilities. She would tell him she could wait a little longer. She would tell him she had been trained for situations exactly like this. She would tell him civilians come first. Cassie would tell him she wasn't important. But she was important to him. "No, I'll go," he pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "Nothing I can do here but wait anyway."


	40. Chapter 39

_A/N: DC Nation owns the rights to these characters._

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Chapter 39:

Thursday; 15 September 2014

8:21 AM

Cassie's POV:

Sometimes all you need is a good cry. Once the tears stop coming it's not uncommon to find you feel better. Like all that pent up emotion slipped out through your tear ducts and suddenly everything is somehow alright. Cassie knows that often times it works out that way. After so many years of near-death experiences and being held captive by various psychos and fearing for her friends' and family's lives she'd discovered that letting it all out often made it easier to bare. Of course that only happened after she could no longer force down the pain and fear and it exploded out of her. After crying herself to sleep Cassie woke up expecting to feel better, like some invisible weight had been lifted from her chest but it hadn't.

She sits in her corner turned into the wall, knees pulled into her chest picking absently at the black microfiber covering her knee. She tugs at the fabric swallowing the urge to put her shorts back on, these were warmer; even if it was Slade who had given them to her. Cassie wraps her arms around her exposed middle digging her fingers into her sides. When she first woke up here and heard Slade's plan she thought she would be able to hold out but now she isn't sure. She lets her forehead fall onto the wall, crushing her bangs between skin and steel, her eyes fall shut as well. A very real part of her wishes she would never have to open them again. It would be easier just to die. Slade couldn't get to her that way. Besides she would rather die than become his puppet, actually dying just might be the only option left. She takes a deep breath, focusing on the feel of the air in her lungs, suicide is the simplest option if not the easiest. There's no way Slade would let her get a hold of anything that could potential be lethal, and obviously he wasn't planning to let her starve to death. She rolls her head to the side resting her ear on the metal now and opens her eyes staring down at her knees exhaling. Suicide could never be an option. Not only was it impossible but it was the equivalent of giving up. Cassie never gave up on anything, her DNA hard-wired her to keep fighting. The hatch screeches open. She bites her lip, her dad would kill her for even considering giving up.

"I hope you've had enough time to think about how unappreciative you've been." She cringes and hugs herself tighter remembering the way her skin crawled beneath his touch. "Put these on." Slade comes forward and drops a pair of dark brown combat boots at her feet. Cassie stares at them and curls her toes in, she had taken her shoes off to put on the pants and now they sat bloody and soggy in the opposite corner, but she didn't want anything else from Slade. The memory of his grip on her makes him that much easier to hate and disobey. He shifts his weight with a dramatic sigh staring down at her. Then he kicks her hard in the side of her leg, Cassie yelps in surprise, fear, and pain twisting her body so that she's facing him ready to block if she has to. But he doesn't come again, she blinks back water from her eyes biting her tongue to draw her attention away from the throbbing in her thigh and the fact that Slade is crouching inches from her body. "I said put on the shoes." Cassie leans forward and snatches them trying to stay as far away as she can, they are new and stiff but her size so her right foot slides in perfectly, her left ankle however is swollen and the fit is much snugger, still the compression will help the sprain.

"I suppose you expect a 'thank you'?" Cassie doesn't take her eyes off her new boots finding it easier to be brave when she isn't looking directly at her biggest fear. "For the shoes I mean."

"It would be nice, but I'm not going to hold my breath." Cassie exhales a small laugh thinking he should, it would solve a lot of her problems. Her hand travels to the point on her thigh where her pulse still pounds, her left leg was definitely getting the worst of it. "Get up, we're starting your training." Slade stands up and Cassie finds herself fighting laughter. She covers her mouth with her hand to make it stop but the sound bubbles out of her throat shaking her shoulders with apparent joy. Fear did crazy things to you.

"I'm sorry," her voice is breathy and light between laughs, she looks up at him pushing hair out of her eyes. He stands with his arms folded towering over her and Cassie knows that he may break her but he will never own her. "Actually, I'm not sorry." Slade places his hands behind his back and angles his head down, "You actually think I'm going to train with you?" The laughing fit stops and her voice becomes dangerously terse, the way she talks to criminals when they really pissed her off, "What part of 'I will never be your apprentice' don't you understand?" Slade was just another criminal after all, "And you can't make me. Beat me up, torture me, do whatever the hell you want but there is no way you will ever make me train with you." Cassie gets to her feet, her left leg weak, and faces him keeping close to the wall. "You have nothing."

"Actually, I believe I do." His voice is so confident and happy Cassie finds herself wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. Slade steps forward and grips her upper left arm so tight she winces. With her right hand she strikes him in an attempt to break his grip and he does let go, but only to punch her hard enough to split her bottom lip and take hold of it again. Dazed from the shock of the punch, Slade drags Cassie through the door into the boiler room, "Let me show you exactly what I have." Cassie spits out blood, metallic and thick, and takes note of the desks and boxes sitting near the exam table Slade strapped her to; a good portion of it has Gotham General printed in green on the side. Cassie rolls her eyes, what kind of person stole from a hospital? Slade swings her around roughly, gripping her bicep so tight it feels like he's ripping it from the bone. Cassie grits her teeth and claws at his hand to no avail squeezing her eyes shut. Then there's the unmistakable click of a loaded gun and her head shoots up. There it is, black and deadly clutched in his hand pointed toward the ceiling. "Now you are going to train or…" He extends the gun forward, his finger resting on the trigger, Cassie's eyes follow the line of fire and land on a young woman sitting unconscious tied to the railing in front of a row of boilers. She's in a damp Gotham University sweatshirt over leggings and shiny black rain boots, her hair is falling over her face, and her head hangs at an uncomfortable angle. Her skin so pale Cassie wonders if she isn't already dead. Slade clamps down on Cassie's arm harder and forces her to her knees. "You are going to train or I am going to shoot."


	41. Chapter 40

_A/N: I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for sticking with me you guys! I love hearing what you have to say so don't be shy with reviews! Tell me like it is! :)_

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Chapter 40:

Thursday, 15 September 2013

8:40 AM

Cassie's POV:

"No!" Cassie's eyes dart from Slade's gun, to the girl, and back again, "I'll do it! Don't shoot! I'll do it!" Her voice is shrill and desperate; pleading. She stares up at him hoping to see some kind of change but he holds his gun fixed on the poor girl's head. Cassie looks back at the girl, the innocent civilian, and can't let her die. "Please…" Cassie feels sick to her stomach, begging isn't something she's trained for, "Don't shoot." But doing anything to save the civilian – she's trained for that. "I'll train." For a horrible moment Cassie thinks it's all in vain, his fingers shift on the gun and she's preparing for the bang and the blood.

"Yes you will." He clicks on the safety. "You and your father share a pointless need to save every person in the world." He releases her arm and Cassie watches him head back toward the desk, her left leg burns beneath her weight and it boils her blood to hear Slade mention her dad like he knows anything about him. "I had hope he failed to instill that same need in you, but it really was just wishful thinking." She turns away from his voice, her teeth clenched. "The fire proved it. You went straight for the people without a second thought."

"And I would do it again." Cassie looks back at the blonde haired girl in front of her. Not twenty minutes ago Cassie had been almost ready to give up and die but this girl just gave her a reason to push on. Now there is someone she has to save. Slade grips her arm from behind and shoves her toward the center of the room, Cassie stumbles on her injured left ankle but quickly regains balance. The center of the room is an open space between two rows of boilers about ten feet across and separated from their massive forms by a sturdy railing. Nearly everything is made of rusting metal and a lot of it has rough edges from people tearing away parts for scrap. The only thing that appears new and unhazardous is ironically the supplies Slade dragged in on their right.

"You won't." Slade moves in front of her, standing three feet away. Cassie stands up straighter, if he was going to force her to train she wouldn't let him think she was afraid. The shiny black boot of his newest victim catches her eye and she turns on impulse to check and make sure she is still alright. Staring at her pale golden hair Cassie wonders if she is trying to convince Slade or herself of her courage.

The first punch connects with her jaw and sends her teeth clashing together with a force that rattles through her skull. She stumbles sideways, her vision blacking out for a moment and has to regain her footing. She spins to throw a punch of her own but Slade is quicker and throws an uppercut hard into her solar plexus that knocks the wind from her lungs and sends her to her knees sucking for air.

"If she's so distracting maybe I should eliminate her." Cassie forces air into her lungs, spurred on by the desperate need to protect the helpless. From the ground she throws out a leg and spins, knocking Slade's legs out from under him. She smiles to herself; it's a small victory to even get him to lose his footing. It doesn't last long however, he twists onto his side before he hits the ground and rolls popping back up just as Cassie, too, gets to her feet. She knows she needs to be the first to act and charges with her right foot, connecting solidly with his chest. It's not enough, he stumbles but doesn't fall. Her left leg, and ankle specifically, pulse with sharp pain supporting her body weight but she grits her teeth and fights anyway. She jabs into his waist with her heel to force him back and as he steps he grips her foot with both of his hands and twists. Cassie yelps and involuntarily the rest of her body follows the motion of her leg until she is again on the floor squinting up at the ceiling through the pain.

She can't pull her right foot out of his clutches without kicking him with her left so she presses her lips together and swipes her leg across his face. It doesn't hurt as much as she expects it to, but that might be the adrenaline. Regardless she keeps kicking until he lets go and rolls to her right to dodge his foot. The captive catches her eye again now that she's closer and Cassie pushes herself up off the floor. That girl had no reason to be here. Cassie decides that even if she can't save herself she will save this girl.

Her breathing heavy and sweat dotting her face, Cassie turns to face Slade coming toward her with even steps. When he's close enough Cassie sends her fist at his throat. He catches her wrist and twists her arm behind her back, swinging her around and walking her forward. The more she resists, the further he twists her arm. Cassie screams more out of frustration than pain. Nothing she did was good enough to beat him, she couldn't hold the upper hand for more than a few seconds. She collides with the rusty railing, the metal presses into the skin above her left hip and scrapes it when Slade sends her tumbling over. She can't stay on the ground for long and reaches for the boiler to pull her up her handing slipping on something wet. Hands grip her around her waist pulling her up awkwardly, she twists around and punches at him but he catches her hand and bends it back. Two steps forward and he has her pinned up against the giant skeleton of a boiler with something sending searing hot bursts of pain into her back. She tries to angle away from the pain and the movement digs it deeper into her back. The scream that erupts from her mouth is cut short by Slade's free hand constricting her wind pipe. Cassie tugs at the steel cords around her throat but it's futile. Starring into his eye all she can see is the dark; black and emotionless. Her shoulders slump and she blinks back the urge to cry and give up. Slade lifts her by the neck, the searing pain dragging down the curve of her back. A short anguished yell passes Cassie's lips. The scream echoes through the room for so long that Cassie realizes she must still be screaming. It's the sound of terror, Cassie stares up at the ceiling trying to make herself shut up, biting down hard on her already split lip. She focuses more on the sound. It's too high and raspy to be her. She is biting on her lip – it can't be her. Straining against the pressure around her neck Cassie turns her head toward the sound. The captive, her eyes wide and spilling over with tears, is watching them screaming at the top of her lungs.


	42. Chapter 41

_A/N: Thanks for all the comments and suggestions! Keep them coming! These characters are the property of DC Nation! Thanks! Enjoy!_

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Chapter 41:

Thursday, 15 September 2013

9:04 AM

Cassie's POV:

Oddly the first thing Cassie registers about her is how wide her mouth opens when she screams. It looks too big to be normal. Or maybe her screams are just that terrified. Waking up tied down in an unfamiliar place could do that to a person; Cassie knew from experience. She tugs at her unyielding bonds but she only slides around the floor. Cassie tugs at Slade's fingers curled around her neck, the moment of weakness forced away by the sound. That girl is the only thing Cassie can think about. Screaming won't keep her alive. Slade's grip tightens on her, her vision blurs and only when her right shoulder slams into the unforgiving ground followed quickly by the rest of her does she realize Slade threw her to the floor.

"Not bad." Cassie forces herself into a sitting position more focused on the lack of screaming than anything Slade has to say. "Not bad at all." Cassie turns her head to her right, the girl has given up screaming in favor of crying, tears sticking blonde hairs to her face. Cassie puts the pain radiating through her into the back of her mind and gets to her feet still watching the girl. She walks toward the girl not caring what Slade will do. Her ponytail yanks her back, Cassie grits her teeth looking up at Slade through slits. He inhales as if about to say something then, apparently, thinks better of it dropping her hair. "I was going to attend to your injuries but if you must check on her first…" Cassie's eyebrows go up, she takes a cautious step forward waiting for the catch, "Go." Still wary of his ulterior motive Cassie stands and waits until Slade is the first to leave, walking over to the desks outside her cell door.

Walking hurts and she can't put wait on her better leg because she doesn't have one. Her right leg draws the short end of the stick even though her ankle winces beneath her body weight because her left thigh is weaker. Her throat fights the nerve signals giving it orders but eventually it grudgingly obliges and she swallows the pain. By the time she covers the distance and stands in front of the crying college student she's a bit dizzy and grateful for the excuse to get down on her knees. Almost immediately the girl starts to babble between hiccups.

"What's… going on… here?... Where am… am I?" Her head swivels looking around at their surroundings, her wide make-up smeared eyes come to rest on Cassie. "Help me! Please… I was walking to… to school… I'm just… just… I'm…" Fresh tears pour bigger and faster than before. Her body shudders and she tugs again at her wrists. Cassie glances over at Slade rifling through a box on the exam table and then puts her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"You need to stop." She does the opposite, her eyes going wider and her crying becoming more vocal. Cassie steals a glance in Slade's direction to make sure he hasn't moved. Cassie has to raise her voice to talk over the crying and cringes hoping she doesn't draw Slade's attention. "I'm trying to help you. You have to stop crying, okay? Try. Deep breathes, alright?" Cassie exhales with relief when the girl appears to make an effort to stop. She closes her eyes and drops her head; tears still fall but she isn't as vocal. Cassie removes her hands, her right hand leaves behind a blood stain and Cassie closes it in a fist to stop herself from looking at it in front of this panic-stricken girl. "What's your name?"

"Catherine Baker." She sniffs, and her shoulder moves like she was trying to wipe her nose but her hand can't come. Cassie knows that feeling too. "My friends call me Cat." She looks up and in a weak congested squeak asks Cassie a question: "You're her, that girl on the news, Cassandra Grayson, aren't you?" Cassie's eyes flit to Slade, Cat turning to follow her gaze, _so he didn't make that up_. They look back at each other, Cat has managed to stop crying for the most part, and Cassie nods looking down at her clenched right fist. Never in her life had she wished to be someone else. Now she almost did. "Oh my God! You're bleeding. Like a lot."

"What?" Cassie opens her hand thinking that's what she's referring to. There's a cut worthy of stitches on her palm below her thumb but it's not bleeding that much. Her left hand goes to her mouth and comes away relatively dry, her lip having dried already. She looks up at Cat whose eyes are fixed on her lower right side. Cassie looks down at herself understanding the concern. The end of a deep gash peeks around her side over her hip oozing scarlet liquid and most of the fabric in her upper right pant leg is somehow a darker black. Cassie looks back up and shakes her head, "I'm fine." Cat's lip starts to tremble.

"Why is he doing this?" Her face crumples and Cassie leans forward on her knees ignoring the burn in her left leg and grips her shoulders again. "I'm just a college kid…"

"Look this has nothing to do with you, I swear." Cat leans back visibly trying to stop herself from crying but still asking why in between each short breath. Cassie presses her bloody right hand to her chest pleading with her eyes, "This is my fault. You shouldn't be here." Cassie has to steady herself afraid that she might start to cry herself. Tears spill silently over Cat's cheeks, matting the hair stuck to her face. Cassie pushes the blonde strands behind her ears because it's what her dad always does. When she speaks again her voice is thick and shaky, "And I am going to get you out of here." Cassie drops her hand from Cat's face, looking her directly in the eye. She tries to memorize the fear in her brown irises and the tiniest bit of hope still fighting to stay alive within them because this is what Cassie is fighting for. "You are going to be fine. I'll find a way to save you. I swear." Cat gulps and takes a deep breath, "I promise, I'll save you. I promise, okay?"

Cassie keeps looking into Cat's eyes while she nods. She can see the trust there, small but strong, no doubt whatsoever. And the hope clings to it for dear life. Cassie nods back amazed that this girl, a Gotham City resident who was taught by the city to never trust anyone, put her faith into a girl she had never met and only recognized because her face had been plastered all over the news. As far as Cat knew Cassie was a captive too, she had watched Slade beat her supposed savior only minutes before. As far as Cat knew Cassie was a spoiled rich kid who couldn't save a penny let alone a person. As far as Cat knew Cassie was just as likely to die as she was.

Cat trusted Cassie anyway.

She shouldn't have.


	43. Chapter 42

_A/N: Thanks for all your comments! Hope you guys are enjoying it! I don't own the rights to these characters, they belong to DC Nation._

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Chapter 42:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

9:10 AM

Dick's POV:

The case had been pretty straight forward. Joker wanted Batman and if he didn't get him then he would poison the city's water. They didn't turn over the Batman of course. Instead, Batman showed up at the distribution plant of his own volition accompanied by Robin and Nightwing where they proceeded to take him and his girlfriend, Harley Quinn, down. Robin was injured, not gravely, but that small slice in Tim's skin allowed Dick to let go of the guilt he felt for the part of him that wished they had just turned over the Batman.

"That sucked." Tim plops down into the second swivel chair at the Bat Cave computer, in the light from the screen and against the contrast of black sweats Tim's bare chest looks pale. His left bicep is wrapped in white compression tape because Harley surprised him from behind while he was disarming the Joker's poison dispenser and he holds an ice pack to the back of his head at the spot where she proceeded to knock him unconscious. Dick glances in his direction, and rolls his eyes.

"For you yeah." Tim tosses the ice pack onto the floor and ruffles his black hair, "How many stitches?" Tim holds up both his index fingers next to each other, "Eleven? That's not bad." Tim shrugs and leans forward angling his chin toward the screen playing through video clips again.

"I figured it would've been done by now."

"It was." Dick minimizes the box with the search running to reveal the one that had already finished. Cassie's face shows up in the very first frame and his chest constricts seeing her focused expression. "The program found her jogging on the way to GA," Dick clicks through the first few videos and they watch her run across the screen until she's out of view of the camera and popping up again in a different feed, her pace quick and steady. "But this is the last we see of her, no cameras by the school saw her." Cassie runs off frame for the last time, her ponytail the last thing he sees. Tim reaches across Dick and starts scrolling through all of the frames with Cassie in them, he stops when he sees her talking on the phone as caught on tape by the front door security camera of a boutique across the street.

"That's me… on the phone with her I mean.." Tim points to the screen, his mouth turned down. "I told her I'd be there in 10 minutes." He leans back in the chair again staring at his hands in his lap. In the unnatural light his eyes are a paler blue glistening with guilt.

"Blaming yourself isn't going to help her." Dick turns away from his brother. He couldn't help imagining that if Tim had been on time that night they wouldn't be sitting at the computer right now grasping at straws. But it's a fool's dream. Slade would have just taken her at some other time. If anyone was to blame it was Bruce. The thought of Slade sitting in a cell somewhere unbeknownst to Dick while Bruce did whatever he could to keep him in the dark puts a sour taste in his mouth. Despite all of that Dick still can't escape the guilt writhing inside himself. Cassie was his daughter and it was his job to protect her. Dick leans back in his own chair pressing the heels on his hands to his eyes trying to recall everything he knows about Gotham Academy because it's still the only piece of confirmed information they have. He remembers going to school there with Barbara. He remembers the way his locker wouldn't close unless you put the combination in a second time. He remembers the time Barbara's friend walked out of that mini market with a pack of gum by accident and was accused of stealing. Dick drops his hands, "Hey is Bobby's Mini Mart still across the street from GA?"

"Yeah, we go in there for lunch all the time." Dick leans forward so fast he almost sends his chair rolling backwards and Tim jumps in his.

"There's a camera on the back wall pointed toward the front door in there." He types furiously entering lines of code faster than he ever thought he could until he has isolated all of the footage from just that store. Then he isolates it further, all of the footage from just that camera. "And the door is a sliding glass door." Through the door is a perfect view of the front of GA, the tops of buildings are cut off by the store ceiling but they can see all the way up to the two double doors of the main office building. Dick fast forwards through the tapes until he gets to the time when Cassie ran out of frame of the last camera. Not three minutes after he clicks play the dark silhouette of a girl in a jacket with hair bouncing in a ponytail jogs to a stop at the edge of the frame.

"That's Cassie." Dick nods zooming in on the video until the mini mart disappears and the glass window is all that takes up the screen, obscured only by the thin metal grate Bobby pulled down at closing. The resolution isn't great so Dick has to play around with the video to restore parts of it and to make it brighter so they can actually see. Several seconds later they have a fairly decent picture of Cassie listening to her I-pod on the side walk. A few minutes later another girl gets out of her car and hugs Cassie, "That's Leslie." Dick nods, he remembered Tim mentioning Leslie saying she saw Cassie at school that night. The two girls talk and then Leslie walks through the double doors leaving Cassie alone again.

Dick can feel his pulse pound, he knows what comes next. Sometime between Leslie leaving her there and coming back Slade showed up. He doesn't know what he hopes to see. Whether she fought him and or went down quietly doesn't matter. He's not ready to watch it happen but he must. Even still hidden in shadow Dick can tell that Cassie is becoming uncomfortable as time goes on. Her head suddenly whips to the side and her posture becomes stiffer. Next she spins to face the gate pulling her headphone from her ear. She knew there was something off. Whatever it is that made her so nervous isn't anywhere on camera. Then she's walking toward the school and turns inside the gate walking out of frame. Dick slams his fist into the console. _No! Come back! _Movement at the front of the screen catches Dick's eye and he can just make out a person crouched in front of Leslie's car on the street, he grips the arm rest with white knuckles. Cassie comes back into frame at a half run, slowing to a stop a few feet from the car. Dick wants to scream at her, tell her what's waiting to pounce but there's nothing he can do to stop it. He wants to cover his eyes and watch every second at the same time. He has to know what happened but he doesn't think he can stand it. On screen Cassie spins in circles, her head whipping back and forth. _She knew_. Her back facing the car, she stops. Dick shakes his head, his jaw clenched painfully tight. The movement he saw earlier materializes into a full sized man. He's in a hooded jacket with broad shoulders, there's too much shadow to see anything distinguishing but he knows immediately. Cassie looks to her sides but not directly behind her where Slade has crept up. In his hand he holds something small. Dick's chest heaves, his eyes begging to look away. Cassie moves to step forward but her foot never meets the concrete. Slade's free hand wraps around her face and he leans in close to her ear. Dick expects her to react or throw a punch, that's what she was taught to do. But she just stands there. Slade lifts the small object, a syringe, and finally Dick has to look away.


	44. Chapter 43

_A/N: These characters are the property of DC Nation not myself. Thanks for reviewing and reading, sorry about that last cliff hanger, it was just too good of a place to put one. Couldn't help myself, don't worry, picking it back up right here!_

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Chapter 43:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

9:28 AM

Cassie's POV:

Cat died fast. She probably didn't even know what happened. One second she was trying to be brave and putting her faith in a complete stranger and the next – nothing. Alive one moment and dead the next. Cassie blinks down at Cat's limp body. She fell back and sideways, her shoulders don't connect with the ground because her hands are still bound to the railing pulling her up. Her head dangles backwards above the curtain of blonde hair as if her neck is made of rubber instead of bone, a thin trail of blood trickles over her forehead from a small hole in her right temple. Cassie stares speechless, too shocked to even cry even though she wants to. Her lips tremble and her body goes numb the only thought running through her mind is that she promised she'd save her. She stares down at her hands, clenching her right fist to feel pain and remember she's not dead also. _I promised_… She looks back at Cat, a pool of slick dark liquid pooling in her hair. Cassie tries not to imagine the exit wound on the other side of Cat's head, it must be big considering the blood loss.

"You're back may need stitches, c'mon." Slade's voice is so calm it's unnerving, as if he hadn't just shot an innocent college student for no reason. Still, Cassie doesn't flinch. She's not sure she can. She's so numb she isn't sure that she's not just a disembodied spirit floating around the room doomed to be unable to save Cat for all of eternity. "That wasn't a suggestion."

"You killed her…" Her voice is a raspy whisper so quiet she can barely hear herself.

"Yes, and now I'm going to keep you from following her into the light." Feeling starts to return to her limbs, Cassie stares at the blood soaking Cat's blonde hair as if sucking the warmth from her. "Get up." He grabs her upper arm and lifts her to her feet, Cassie turns out of his grasp and shoves him away.

"Don't touch me!" The world around her shifts and dips, Cassie stumbles back colliding with the railing next to Cat's corpse on the floor. The metal sends shocks through her right side and she pushes herself off it when the lightheadedness fades. She stares down at Cat, the color fading from her cheeks, her eyes still just barely open watching but unable to see. "You killed her!" Cassie can still hear Cat's sobs echoing through the room, "She was innocent and you killed her!" Anger and disgust pulse through Cassie's body making up for the blood loss, she turns to face Slade her eyes flaming a deep blue.

"You should be thanking me, I just showed you how foolish you're craving to save the doomed is." Slade folds his arms across his chest leaning all of his weight to one side, castigating her like a coach.

"She had nothing to do with any of this!" Cassie throws her right hand toward Cat's limp form, blood from her cut splattering over Cat's awkwardly bent neck. She has to take a moment to steady her breathing, the rage making her blood flow faster. "She was innocent." Cassie turns back to Slade pointing to her own chest, "You want to kidnap me – fine. You want to torture me – fine. Hell, if you want to kill me that's fine too! I signed up for this!" Cassie throws out her hand motioning toward the entirety of the room. "Cat didn't! She was innocent!" Cassie leans into the railing, her head hanging forward guilt twisting in her stomach. "I was supposed to save her!"

"Again with the saving people." Slade comes forward stopping two feet in front of her, Cassie grips the railing behind her. "When are you going to get it? You can't save anyone… couldn't save her." Slade points to Cat's legs still bent the way she had been siting. "You really think you can save a world that doesn't want to be saved?" He kicks Cat's knee, her body ripples with the shock. Cassie grips the railing tighter. "These people aren't innocent, especially in this city. All of them are just out for themselves. You and your dad and you're Titans and you're Justice League try so hard to make it stop but does it ever make a difference? No! There's always somebody ready to pick up where the rest of us leave off." He takes another step forward. Cassie leans further into the metal pipe very conscious of the exposed flesh on her right side. "The world doesn't have a shortage of psychos kid. You're fighting a losing battle."

"You know you're right." Cassie shakes hair out of her face, she has nothing left to lose. Cat's dead. She's losing so much blood she's probably headed that way herself. "The world never stops spitting out degenerates like you. But all of us, the people that give up our lives to make sure people like you keep losing…" Cassie pushes herself off the railing, wobbling a bit on her feet and steps forward shortening the distance between them to only a foot. "We don't give up that easy."

"You're going to realize I'm right eventually." Cassie shakes her head slightly, pressing her lips together in a tight line. Slade closes the distance between them looking down at her with only an inch of separation, Cassie looks down at Cat's feet. Slade had taken so much, but this was the one thing he would never get – her. Her body, he could take by force. Her life, he could take with a bullet or a knife. But he would never have Cassie for who she was.

"No." She looks back up at him, her jaw set and posture straight. "I won't." Cassie shakes her head, it makes her world spin again and she becomes more conscious of the cold creeping into her body. "You killed my mom." His eye narrows at her but she doesn't turn away, she just shrugs. "You're just going to have to kill me too." From behind him he pulls the same gun that put a bullet through Cat's brain not twenty minutes earlier. Cassie stares at it hanging from his fingertips at his right side. A sense of calm passes over her and she looks back up. If she had to die now at least she knew she was dying without backing down.

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_A/N: A note on Cat - I had some people ask me why i included this character and I thought it best to answer here. Cat is very much a minor character but she has a very large role, she is the catalyst that spurs the story forward as you will soon see and she reveals a very key part of Cassie's character. Come to think of it she reveals a big part of Slade's character as well as we see what he himself believes of the world and part of what drives him to do what he does when he explains to Cassie that Cat was never innocent because she is a part of a world that was never worth saving. To him the world consists of people only out to save their own skin and make their own way in the world no matter the cost. Ironically we see Cat who previously, despite her own situation, cared enough about a complete stranger to fear for Cassie's life when she noticed the blood. Cassie and her father, who taught her to value the innocent, are themselves proof that Slade is wrong because of all they do to protect the world. So I hope this answers that question, even if I did get a little off topic. Thanks again!_


	45. Chapter 44

_A/N: Thanks for the support and criticism! Keep them coming! These characters are the property of DC Nation not myself! Enjoy_

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Chapter 44:

Thursday; 15 September 2014

10:12 AM:

Wally's POV:

There's a blissful moment right after you wake up when your brain is still reluctant to leave the world of dreams and for that one precious moment you have no cares or worries. The world is peaceful. Then you blink and the moment's gone. Often times after he wakes up, usually while in the middle of a tough case or recently after, Wally wished he could stay in that moment. But the moment is fleeting so he gets up surprised to find he slept so late, gets dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt and leaves the room in search of Artemis who he finds sitting on the couch watching television still in the clothes she went to sleep in.

"Hey," Wally kisses the top of her head taking comfort in the scent of her vanilla shampoo and goes to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. "Why didn't you wake me?" He pours himself a cup, drinks it black, and pops a few pieces of bread into the toaster wondering if there had been any major developments in the search for Cassie.

"You need think to find Cassie, and you need to sleep to think." Artemis talks toward her coffee cup. He wonders if Artemis is taking care of him as much as he is taking care of Dick. And if she is, how hadn't he noticed? Wally drums his fingers along the counter impatiently waiting for the toast to pop up. Then she looks over her shoulder at him, her face stern, "I could be helping you, you know." He stops drumming his fingers and takes a deep breath, they'd had this fight several times since Cassie disappeared.

"Baby we talked about this…" Wally abandons the toast and carries his coffee cup over to her, leaning his elbows onto the back of the couch so he isn't looking down at her as much. Working this case would make her more stressed out than she was and that was dangerous for the baby. And on top of that, Wally had learned to fear Slade as much as Dick did and he didn't want his family anywhere near him. He looks into her eyes, deep brown and filled with emotion, her mouth is turned down at the corners. Wally tries to remember the last time he saw her smile. "I'm not comfortable with that." Artemis rolls her eyes and turns away, her yellow hair falling to hide her face from him. "Artemis think of the baby." One of her hands presses to her middle.

"I do." She heaves a breath and sips her creamy brown coffee, "But I'm also thinking about Cassie." Wally looks up at the ceiling trying to maintain a level head. He wants to yell at her to make her understand that he's thinking of her too but he bites back the urge because he doesn't have time to get into a screaming match with her. Especially because he always loses. Instead he opts to kiss her again, pressing his lips to her temple. She leans into his touch briefly then leans forward to put her coffee cup down on the table and picks up the remote, raising the volume. Wally's eyes flit to the screen and he stands up straighter a scowl on his face realizing it's the news and of course they are talking about Cassie.

"Why are you watching this?" On the couch Artemis tucks her legs beneath her and leans into the cushions, "Artemis you're just going to make yourself upset." He speaks louder than he intends too and rubs her shoulder to apologize.

"Well you won't let me anywhere near the case so this is all I've got." Her hand goes out toward the screen quickly then she rests it across her abdomen leaning her cheek on her other hand. Wally takes a deep breath and looks at the clock, nearly 10:30, he needs to go check on Dick. Annoyed with her behavior he turns without another word to grab his phone and keys from the breakfast bar trying and failing to ignore the newscasters.

"…spoke to GCPD Police Commissioner Jim Gordon early this morning and this is what he had to say…" the man speaking clears his throat, there's the crinkle of shuffling papers, and he speaks again, "We have received no information regarding the case of Miss Grayson's disappearance from the Justice League nor have we received anything concerning the location or condition of her father. We have launched our own inquiry into the case and will continue to look for Miss Grayson and her captor. We also encourage anyone who believes they have any information regarding the case to contact the GCPD directly. Locating both her and her captor is a top priority for the city..." Wally stares down at his cell phone, several missed calls from Dick and a text message explaining that he found a new lead. The announcer keeps talking, "Now today marks the sixth day Miss Grayson has been missing and regrettably…" The announcer pauses and Wally turns around to see the reporter consult his notes, take a deep breath and continue. "Regrettably, due to city policy, the GCPD has declared Miss Grayson as presumed dead because she has been missing for longer than five days." Artemis's head falls forward into her hands, her shoulders shaking. Wally leaps over the couch and punches the power button on the remote before the announcer can make it worse.

"Do we presume her dead?" Wally sits down facing Artemis one leg bent in front of him pressed to her bent knees. She lifts her head and pushes hair out of her face looking at him with tears in her eyes. "Are we looking for a body?" She narrows her eyes to keep the tears at bay and shakes her head at him.

"No," He rubs circles between her shoulder blades and lets her rest her crying eyes on his shoulder. "Cassie's out there somewhere, she's too stubborn to die." His joke sounds hallow even to himself, Wally had been trying to put this image out of his mind for days. It was easier to think about finding Cassie if he imagined finding her alive. Artemis pulls back dragging the back of her hand across her eyes and shaking her head.

"Wally I don't think I can do it…"

"Yes you can." He grabs her shoulders and she hugs her stomach. "Cassie is going to be fine, you'll see." She shakes her head more, her hair shivering.

"No, I mean I don't think I can let my baby be like us." Wally wipes tears from her cheeks and bites his lip. "Look what it's done to Dick…" She takes a shaky breath and looks at the ceiling, a hand pressed to the right of her belly button. Wally grips her other hand, stroking the back of her palm. "And Cassie…" She drops her head with a groan and pulls her hand out of his to put it over her other one on her stomach, "I can't put my child through that. I don't think I'd…" She blinks hard a few times and looks down at the bump in her abdomen. Suddenly she jerks forward with a yelp.

"Artemis?" Wally panics, he grabs her shoulders and leans down trying to look into her face, "Artemis, what's wrong?" She looks up at him sweat on her upper lip and eyes wide. She opens her mouth to speak but only a pained groan comes out and she bends forward hugging herself again. Wally tries to force her upright looking for the problem but she's hugging herself too tight. "Talk to me! What's wrong?!"

"It hurts!" She tries to sit up but doesn't make it very far before she groans again, clutches her stomach, and has to stop.

"What hurts?" Wally looks down at her hands registering their location for the first time, clenching her stomach. She's holding onto the baby. His eyes go wide and he puts one hand over hers using his other to turn her face up. "Is it the baby?" His voice is thin and raspy. Artemis closes her eyes, gritting her teeth, "Is it?" Her eyes open and he has his answer.


	46. Chapter 45

_A/N: DC Nation holds all the rights to these characters, unfortunately I do not. Love hearing what you guys have to say! Thanks!_

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Chapter 45:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

12:13 PM

Tim's POV:

Waiting is the worst part. It doesn't matter what you're waiting for. Waiting in line for a roller coaster. Waiting at school for the bell to ring. Waiting for the sequel to a movie. Waiting for a hit on a video filtration program. The waiting is the worst part because there is nothing else to do. No distraction. Just the wait. Tim wants to pull out his hair pacing around Wayne Manor. He had come upstairs to try to find something to occupy his brain but it had been to no avail. After watching Cassie be abducted Tim had wanted to throw up, it hadn't even been that horrible, Slade didn't even hit her, just shot her up with some kind of sedative, swung her over his shoulder and carried her to what they found is a stolen car. Still he felt sick to his stomach and his brain is stuck downstairs on the computer wondering when they will get a hit.

"The rain stopped several hours ago," Tim spins around, his sneakers squeaking on the tile of the front hallway, Alfred leans halfway out of the doorway to the front sitting room with a duster in hand, "A run may help the nerves." He raises his gray eyebrows.

"Yeah, maybe." Tim bites his lip, and swings his arms back and forth the tape on his bicep pressing tighter. He shakes his head and takes a deep breath, "No, I should be here in case that search turns anything up." Alfred nods and enters the sitting room leaving Tim to stare after him jealous that Alfred has something that keeps him occupied.

With no other option Tim heads upstairs to his room and collapses onto his bed. His head throbs where Harley hit him and he squints up at the ceiling until it goes away. He tilts his head back to stare at the pale gray sky beyond his window, somewhere beyond that glass is Cassie. Even with a new lead he doesn't feel any closer to finding her, he sticks his thumb into the pocket of his jeans afraid to miss the computer's notification. The clouds writhe and turn slowly being fought away by the sun just peeking through, he can see the rays descending onto the city. Tim narrows his eyes at the thin slates of light. How could the sun possibly shine right now? His pocket starts to vibrate but it's his back pocket not the one with the com link in it. Tim stares back up at the ceiling debating whether he should even check and see whose calling him. With a sigh he awkwardly leans over and pulls out his phone because there's a very good chance it could be Dick. It's not, it's Leslie. His first instinct is to hit the reject button but then he remembers talking to her and how it made him feel better. He couldn't lean on Dick because he already had a hard enough time keeping himself together and he couldn't lean on Bruce because he didn't know what to think about him anymore. But Leslie, Leslie he could lean on, and after talking to her the other day he realized how much he needed that.

"Shouldn't you be at school right now?" He presses the phone to his ear and sits up leaning his free elbow onto his knee.

"Couldn't take it anymore." On the other side of the line Leslie sniffs, "Thought I'd take a page out of the Tim Drake handbook and just forget I had to go in the first place." Tim smiles to himself a little, glad he picked up the phone.

"I think I've been a bad influence on you." He imagines her sitting curled up in her living room with a steaming cappuccino in her hand. Picturing her that way his smile fades, that was the way Cassie always spent time reading on rainy days. If she was home right now it's probably what she'd be doing.

"No, Cassie had me ditching long before today." It's like she took hold of his insides and twisted, all Tim can see is Cassie falling limp into Slade's arms. He takes a deep breath and wants to hang up the phone. "Hey Tim?" Leslie's voice is small and distorted by the speakers.

"Yeah?"

"Did you watch the news this morning?"

"No." He stares down at his shoes, "I make a point not to watch it."

"Oh…" There's an awkward silence. Tim has the feeling he should say something but doesn't know what. Just when he works up the courage to try for a small joke her voice comes wavering through the phone. "They said she's probably already dead." She sniffs again, the sound of tears. "Some stupid rule about five days or something says she's probably already dead…" Tim bites down on the inside of his cheek and lets his head fall into his free hand. He shakes his head; today was day six, according to Gotham City she was now to be treated as presumed dead. He bites harder on his cheek a horrible pit forming in his stomach. "Do you think she's dead?" Tim can hear the tears in her voice and knows he should lie, protect her like he's protected Dick. Be positive. Hope for the best and all that. But he doesn't think he can lie to her. Tim had been avoiding the possibility that they were already too late for days but that didn't mean he didn't know it could still be true. He presses the edge of the phone to his lips and squeezes his burning eyes shut. After a moment to steady himself he puts the phone back to his ear.

"I don't know…" He watches a tear land on his shoe and takes a deep shaky breath, "I really don't." He presses his lips together, being honest with yourself was supposed to make you feel better but it didn't. After admitting it all Tim wants to do is take it back, or throw up.

"What if the League stops looking for her?" Tim blinks back more tears and wipes the few that escaped off his cheeks. Leslie hiccups on the other end of the line. This was one question he could answer with certainty, he clears his tight throat.

"They won't." He pulls his com link out of his pocket and stares down at it, his mind again on the computer downstairs. It rests cold against his palm, he clenches it tight, clinging onto it like a last hope. "They'll find her. They will." Tim sits with her on the phone, rolling his com link between his fingers, and listening to her cry because there is nothing left to say.


	47. Chapter 46

_A/N: I do not hold the rights to these characters, they are owned by DC Nation. Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think! Thanks! Enjoy!_

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Chapter 46:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

12:24 PM

Cassie's POV:

Most teenagers think they are invincible. Cassie knows she isn't. Death had been a very real possibility for most of her life, and she had been too close to the edge too many times to ignore it. She was prepared to die if she had too. She didn't want to die, no one did, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She always found it funny how before each mission her dad would come up to her and remind her of his number one rule: just don't die. Sometimes she wanted to remind him that she didn't really have a choice in the matter. Staring up at the black ceiling that rule rolls around inside Cassie's head. _Just don't die_. She feels like she's betraying her dad and breaking that rule by accepting her imminent doom. Even worse a part of her is disappointed that she woke up at all, she was sure when Slade knocked her out it would be for the last time.

Her head feels heavy and disconnected when she turns it to the side and sees the entrance to her holding cell and to the left of that Cat's still body still hanging from her bonds. Cassie's eyes water, the sound of the shot still fresh in her ears. Slade is nowhere within her line of sight, she starts to frown out of confusion and feels the skin on her bottom lip crack. Her hand travels to the puffy flesh and comes away with red tipped fingers. Staring at her hand she realizes she isn't tied down to the exam table and starts to sit up and stops when the world around her dips and turns. After a moment she tries again more focused on the fact that the skin on her back feels foreign and taught. She looks down at herself, feet dangling over the table, bandages stained red wrapped around her abdomen and around her right hand. She starts to unwrap her hand curious to see how deep the cut went.

"You know, I think I underestimated you…" Cassie jumps and cringes after from the pain. The muscles in her neck ache when she turns her head to looks at him sitting on a desk behind her a suture kit on his knee. "How stubborn you are specifically." He jumps off the desk fiddling with the suture kit, then looks back up at her. "Granted it is a good thing to some extent," he begins to circle the table waving the small package toward the center of the room, "I mean I beat you down and you just get right back up. It's impressive." He comes to a stop to her right, Cassie leans to the left. His compliment makes her feel dirty. "But you are so stubborn," He places the suture kit down next to her with a loud smack, "I'm starting to believe you will follow through with your threat to die rather than do what you're told." He rips open the blue green plastic and starts to lay out the needle, sutures, and antiseptic.

"You think I wouldn't rather die?" Cassie glowers at him through a pang of guilt she feels for throwing out her dad's first and most important rule.

"I think…" he holds his right hand out expectantly and holds the antiseptic in the other, "If you're smart you'll give me your hand." His gaze bores into her, Cassie looks at his hand then back to his face. The corner of Cassie's mouth goes up slightly and she shakes her head once.

"Well I guess I'm not as smart as you think I am." Cassie smiles, tasting blood from her lip that undoubtedly cracked open again. At first, it seems like what she said had no effect on him. Slade simply puts the antiseptic down and contemplates the materials of the kit silently. Anxious in the silence, Cassie's heart rate picks up adding a pounding quality to the previously stagnant pain. Then he starts to laugh, a low angry chuckle. Cassie's eyes widen and she braces herself.

"Stupid, stupid girl…" Cassie freezes beneath his narrowed eye never having seen such raw malice and anger before. In a burst of motion Slade grips her and throws her to the ground, Cassie puts out her hands to protect her face but falls awkwardly landing on her right shoulder instead. Her weight carries her to her back and the friction rips off her sleeve. "I've tried to be patient." He stands over her, knife in hand. Cassie turns to her left to push herself to her feet, both her legs begging not to have to bear any weight. Before she can get her legs under her Slade kicks the side of her chest and she goes reeling to the side clutching her lower rib cage trying to breathe through the pain. She puts her hand in front of her face expecting to see blood from whatever is stabbing her chest but it comes away clean. Her hand is plucked from her vision and pinned above her head, Cassie punches Slade with her right fist but he straddles her and manages to pin it beneath his foot crushing the bones in her wrist. Cassie groans fighting for a breath. "You better think about exactly how painful I can make this for you." He drags the knife down her upper right arm, Cassie lets out a scream so loud he flinches away and smacks her. He holds the knife dripping her blood in front of her face, "Or how painless." He wags the blade, drops of red falling onto her neck, "Your choice." Cassie swallows saying a silent mental apology to her dad and everyone who ever loved her for what she's about to do.

"Do your worst." She stares into his eye determined not to back down but turns away before his elbow comes crashing down on her skull.


	48. Chapter 47

_A/N: People have been asking why I choose to write this from these perspectives and I'm not quite sure how to answer, just know that I do it very conciously, no perspective is chosen on a whim. Mostly I'm concerned with the dynamic and how showing the story through ones characters POV allows the audience to see not only the events of the story itself but the reaction of the characters. It's one thing to see how a character feels and another to see how they actually show how they feel from the outside. Hopefully that helps answer the question. Thanks for you comments and questions!_

_DC Nation owns these characters. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 47:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

12:40 PM

Wally's POV:

"Wally! Where the hell have you been?" The second Wally steps foot in the Cave Dick is on top of him rapid firing questions. "I've been freaking out. You weren't answering your phone or Artemis…" He blinks down at his best friend still dazed from a morning in the hospital and exhausted from the collective emotional trauma. "I started to think Slade went after you too." Dick shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, despite the day of sleep he got he doesn't look any less tired. "What the hell happened?"

"My morning kind of…" Wally passes a hand over his hair not thrilled at having to recount the events that started off his day. "I had to take Artemis to the hospital."

"What?! Is she okay? Is everything okay?" His eyes go so wide Wally can see each blue iris in its entirety. Dick angles his head forward talking fast and not leaving room for answers, "Is the baby okay? What happened?"

"If you'd shut up I could tell you!" Dick closes his mouth abruptly, the corners of his eyes turned down ever so slightly. Wally takes a deep breath, "Sorry, it's just… I'm…" He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans to hide clenched fists. With an effort he starts again managing to keep his voice level, "Everything's fine. Between the hormones and everything I don't think she's handling all of this very well and it's causing complications." Dick's eyes widen again and Wally backtracks, "Not exactly, the doctors said it wasn't uncommon in mother's who have high stress levels and, I mean let's face it, none of us are exactly stress free right now. Or ever…" He stares at Dick's feet, his shoes worn and dirty. "They told me to bring her home and just to keep her calm and happy. Whatever mommy wants mommy gets and all that."

"I'm sorry." Wally draws his eyebrows together watching his best friend from beneath their orange haze. Dick's eyes are round with regret, he can't hold Wally's gaze for long and has to look at the floor. "I'm so sorry, I should have… I don't know…"

"Dick stop." Wally pulls a hand from his pocket and places it on Dick's shoulder. The last thing he wants is for Dick to start blaming himself for something he had no control over, like Artemis, when he unquestionably already blamed himself for letting Cassie get taken. "Artemis isn't your fault, neither is Cassie." Dick shakes his head and turns away, Wally gives his shoulder a firm shake. "Look I know you don't believe it right now but it's true. You couldn't have known, besides you said you had a lead…" Wally tries for a smile that isn't reciprocated very well, "Means it's just a matter of time."

"Yeah…" Dick stares off into space for a while and Wally lets him get lost in his own world working through whatever he has to work through. No one else appears to be at the Cave or at least in the main room so Wally lets himself get lost too. He thinks about Artemis at home in bed and aches to go sit with her. His place is here though, at the Cave, looking for the little girl that made him believe he could be a father himself one day. Dick taps him on the shoulder, "C'mon, I'll show you what we found." Dick walks him through the process of searching video footage to find Cassie and how they found her in the top corner of a mini mart security camera, he even plays the video for him to watch. Wally tries to take himself out of the equation while she gets taken over and over again in a fixed loop, never at Slade's mercy for more than two minutes but never free from danger either. He shivers seeing Slade's familiar silhouette carry Cassie around like a rag doll and focuses more on the stolen car they drove away in. "We put out an APB on the license plate and we have the computers looking for it. So far nothing."

"You'll find something." Wally goes back to the video record of Cassie's abduction, freezing it just before Slade sticks the syringe into her neck. He zooms in closer on the video looking for something identifiable but zoomed in this far the screen starts to look grainy. "What do you think? Sedative or something low grade?" Dick fiddles with the video search.

"Definitely high quality." He stops playing with the video and leans on the back of the swivel chair looking up meeting Wally's eyes. Wally raises his eyebrows, "Slade wouldn't stoop. Trust me." Dick turns to the screen, narrowing his eyes on the still frame, "I spent too much of my life hunting him. I know." He grips his chin in one hand and continues to stare, seeing something in the video that Wally can't. Wally feels a tightness in his chest, worried that he's about to lose his best friend too. Dick has that look about him, too calm and detached, poised to explode at the worst possible moment. Wally turns around leaning his lower back against the console and folding his arms across his chest.

"Hey, you've got to promise me something…" Wally stares down at his crossed arms, the little hairs standing up despite the warmth of the room.

"Sure, what?" Dick doesn't look away from the screen, Wally kicks one of his shoes to make him meet his eye.

"I'm serious." Wally squeezes his arms tighter across his chest preparing for the possibility of being yelled at and steeling himself to hold his ground if that's the case. "When it comes to Slade you don't always have your head on right, and when it comes to Cassie being in trouble you never have your head on right." Dick's eyes narrow his worse half beginning to argue, Wally talks over him. "I'm not saying you have to sit this one out. You're right, you know Slade better than any of us and if anyone is going to find him and stop him it's you but you have to swear to me you won't go in alone." Dick rolls his eyes, and stares at his hands hanging in midair over the seat. "If you go alone you are going to die. Then who is going to be there to save Cassie, Dick? You would be playing right into his hands." Wally can feel his voice waver thinking about losing not just Cassie but Dick too. "You're my best friend… You're my brother! I am not going to let you run blindly to your death. Promise me you'll be smart about this."

"I will be."

"Then promise me." Dick stares at his hands, "Dick, promise me you won't go alone."

"I won't." He looks up, his eyes cool and hard. "I swear, I won't go alone. Don't worry."


	49. Chapter 48

_A/N: This is somewhat of a filler chapter, I admit. However there is very important character building. Hope you still enjoy! Let me know how it could have been better! DC Nation holds the rights to these characters._

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Chapter 48:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

1:20 PM

Dick's POV:

One of the best parts of growing up in Wayne Manor had been Alfred's cooking, he had a way with spices that made even a nine year old willing to eat his vegetables. More than twenty years later, that willingness is gone and Dick pushes his carrots around his plate and lets the meat grow cold. He would just leave them sitting on the plate if he could but Alfred has taken a break from his normal routine to stand by the sink and wait until Dick has eaten all of his food. Dick chances a glance at Alfred who stares back patiently and then shovels a carrot into his mouth. Bruce walks in as he swallows and Dick stabs another carrot.

"Master Bruce." Bruce inclines his head toward Alfred and proceeds to observe Dick. Dick shifts in his seat, Bruce's mere presence makes him want to throw his plate across the room. They stare at each other, blue eye to blue eye, the silence charged to explode. Bruce scratches his jaw and turns to Alfred.

"Would you mind giving us a minute?"

"That's not necessary." Dick stands from his chair.

"Actually I believe it is quite necessary." Alfred walks out of the room then leans his head back inside at the last moment, "Sit down," he looks pointedly at Dick then between both of them, "And do try not to bleed on the floors, I just waxed them." With that he walks out of the room. Dick watches him go, his fingertips pressed against the wood table top at his waist to keep them from curling into fists.

"The only reason I'm here is because Tim wouldn't leave me alone until I came to eat something, so unless you found something that has to do with Cassie I don't care." Dick looks down at his fingers sure that if he looks up he will ruin Alfred's shiny floors.

"There are some things we should talk about." Dick laughs and looks up at the ceiling. They didn't have to talk, they had to find Cassie and then Bruce could go die in an alley for all Dick cared. He had no right to demand Dick's attention after lying to him for so many years. "There are some things I think you should know." Dick turns his angry eyes on Bruce, who has replaced Alfred by the sink.

"There is nothing you could possibly say that I want to hear." His voice is sharp and cold. Without realizing it he punches the table top and it shudders. "You lied to me and now my daughter is gone. There is nothing you can say." He shakes his head, "Nothing."

"Dick I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Well you thought wrong." Bruce leans off the counter and then back onto it, Dick is taken aback not used to seeing him uncomfortable. Bruce folds his arms over his chest and talks at them.

"What was I supposed to do?" He looks back up, a mixture of regret and frustration in his eyes. Dick's fist loosens. "Star was dead, you weren't handling it well and after you rescued Wally from Slade you just assumed he was dead so I let you believe it. I was trying to protect you." He shifts on the counter, "You would have driven yourself mad knowing he was in there, I was looking out for you… For Cassie." Dick wants to pretend he can't see why he did it. Had it been reversed Dick's sure he would have made the same call. If he had to lie to Cassie to protect her from the monster in her closet he would. "He had a roof fall on top of him, I never thought he would get out…"

"Yeah, well he did." Dick sits down in the chair the strength going out of him, torn between anger and guilt.

They sit in silence for a while, Bruce too stubborn to apologize and Dick still too angry to forgive. The air in the room hangs heavy on Dick's shoulders with so many things playing through his brain, he lets his head fall into his hands. No one speaks until Tim comes skidding to a stop scuffing Alfred's clean kitchen tile.

"We saw him before!" Dick lifts his head, dropping his hands. Tim's eyes are wild and his voice is excited. "He was at the fire! He was behind it!" Dick narrows his eyes at Tim who stares back as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "Slade! He was at the fire!" Dick sits up straighter and exchanges a look with Bruce who seems just as confused and surprised, Tim makes an aggravated noise and heads out the door with Dick close on his heels.

2:00 PM Cassie's POV

When it comes down to it, our bodies will do whatever it takes to survive, even if we desperately want them to stop. Cassie isn't sure how long she has been fighting it, slipping in and out of consciousness for the last few minutes, or had it been hours? Aside from the pain she can't process much. It's worst in her head where something is trying desperately to claw out, or maybe it's in her lungs, fighting hard to expand. She lets her head fall to the side wishing that for once her body knew when it was time to give up and just let go. She notices the edges of her vision going black so she closes them completely and sucks in a painfully short breath; maybe her body was starting to realize it's time. Her world tips to the side, and suddenly it's harder to breathe like something is pressed up against her face and chest. Her eyes fly open, panic before the end. Stabbing pain radiates from her lower back working its way slowly to the side, Cassie screams and something presses her shoulders back down onto the table. She looks down, the table beneath her, she hasn't moved, just been flipped. The pain keeps spreading and she keeps struggling but it's useless against the things holding her in place. Looking over her shoulder she can see the source of the pain: Slade stitching up her back the skin bloody and swollen. Her eyes water, she writhes harder but doesn't move. "Stop!" She yells again, the pain so strong she's nauseous. He just keeps going.


	50. Chapter 49

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for the feedback! I love to hear it! Thanks._

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Chapter 49:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

4:27 PM

Dick's POV:

After rescuing Wally from Slade years ago Dick became obsessed with figuring out how Slade discovered his identity. He spent weeks going through mission reports and scrutinizing his memories for the slip up. The only thing he can say with confidence is that Slade learned it after Star's death. He never got much further than that because Wally reminded him it didn't matter; Slade was dead. Knowing Slade had been watching Cassie for at least a week he wishes he had found out. If for no other reason than to stop him from wondering.

"Are we throwing out the possibility that these two are not the same person?" Dick narrows his eyes at Bruce standing on the opposite side of Tim's chair. They all study two side by side still shots, one of Slade as he approaches Cassie at GA and the other a still frame of the master mind who ran away from the fire to observe her for a moment. Basic identification factors such as height, weight, and body structure lead the computer to believe Tim is right and they are the same person. Dick has to agree. An elaborate plan only to be abandoned by the creator? The only way that makes sense is if he was there for something else entirely. That something else: to study Cassie. Bruce puts up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not saying I disagree." Dick folds his arms and looks back at the frozen figure from the fire scrutinizing his back.

"Then don't ask stupid questions." Tim tries to hide a smirk and Bruce smacks him smartly across the back of his head. Tim hunches over into a submissive position, Dick hopes he held his ground better against Bruce when he was Tim's age. He shakes off the thought, by the time he was eighteen he had already been with the Titans for two years.

"If this was Slade then I think it's safe to assume he was also the one who tried breaking into the study the week before." Dick drops his arms lifting his eyebrows at Bruce who stares back seriously.

"This study? Like at Wayne Manor?" Tim swivels around in his chair chewing the corner of his lip in confusion. "When did that happen?"

"Remember the night of the benefit? You took my daughter and went running off into the night like an idiot… that night." Dick pushes as much contempt into the sentence as he can muster still having failed to forgive him. He then turns to Bruce pointing in the general direction of the study upstairs. "And you're telling me you think Slade was on the property somewhere while we were staring at a window?" His voice rises to a shout at the end and his heart rate picks up. "He was on the freaking grounds?!"

"How would he even know to come here? It's not like he knows our identities," Tim motions between Bruce and himself shaking his head, "So we have no connection to Nightwing or Sparrow as far as he knows."

"But we have a direct connection to Dick and Cassie Grayson, he may have followed them here." Dick walks over to the console and leans on it his mind reeling. _How did I miss him? He's been here the whole time!_ "And he could know who we are Tim. He knows Dick's identity which means he presumably knows Cassie's…" Bruce folds his arms and shrugs, "Someone as calculating as Slade… it wouldn't be hard for him to connect the dots." Tim stares at Bruce, Bruce stares at Dick, and Dick looks anywhere other than at either of them. This is all his fault, he let his identity slip somehow and if they don't catch Slade they will all be paying for it. He shakes his head and turns toward the computer, hands pressed to the console for support, now isn't the time to feel sorry for himself.

"Okay but does that give us anything? Does the fire even?" He motions toward the still frame from the fire looking at Bruce by default. "Those were both dead end cases and we've been looking at the fire angle for hours." Tim launches into some theory about something they can try now that they have three cases to work with but Bruce's eyes say they still have nothing. Their best chance is still the stolen car and that well is starting to look pretty dry. Dick hangs his head sucking in deep breaths to keep himself from panicking. Before he has the time to tune out the sound of Tim and Bruce arguing his phone rings. Content to ignore it Dick tries to tune that out too.

"If it's Wally he'll just keep calling you." Dick looks to the side at Tim staring down at his pocket where the noise emanates from. "And if you don't answer he's just going to call me next." Dick rolls his eyes and shoves his hand down his pocket, Tim goes back to typing on the computer. In the seconds before he pulls the phone out of his pocket Dick decides that if it's not Wally he's still going to ignore it. Then he looks at the screen and sees Cassie's picture, bright eyed and smiling, looking back at him.

"Everybody shut up!" Both heads whip around to face him, Dick stares down at the phone faint static crinkling over the speakers. Dick's lips feel dry, he doesn't think he can talk even if he wants to. He shouldn't be the first to talk. It's probably Slade on the other line, not Cassie. _But what if it is her?_ "Cassie?" Tim's eyes widen and he shoots up from his chair, a thousand questions in his eyes, all three of them stare at the phone. Dick's whole body tingles waiting for a response, after a few seconds he can't take it anymore. "Cassie?" His voice cracks, he closes his eyes and waits praying to hear the sound of her voice. The computer screen flashes red: Multimedia message sent successfully. Tracking signal. Dick holds his breath. "Cassie? Answer me, please…"

"Dad?" He wants to laugh and cry at the same time, she doesn't sound like she's talking directly to the phone. Her voice is quiet and drawn out like she always sounds right when she wakes up in the morning; confused. "Dad?" Dick smiles, she's alive, they aren't too late yet.

"Cassie where are you? Can you tell me any –"

"Dad!" She's shouting and suddenly sounds less confused, "No! Hang up right now! You can't come it's a trap!" He tries to get her to calm down, she has to tell them where she is before Slade finds out she's talking to them. Cassie shouts louder, "No! IT'S A TRAP! YOU CAN'T COME! HE'LL KILL – AAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHHH –" The line goes dead.

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_A/N: I know, cliff hangers, I'm evil. Sorry._


	51. Chapter 50

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. I really enjoyed righting the next few chapters, as crazy as that may seem. Let me know if you guys enjoy reading them, if not, let me know that too!_

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Chapter 50:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

4:34 PM

Cassie's POV:

Scholars have decided that every myth and legend stems from something real. Kind of how behind every lie there is a kernel of truth. Vampires don't really exist but people with pale skin and sensitivity to the light do. The only difference is the real people suffer from a disease known as porphyria not vampirism. The Angel of Death is a similar myth, or so Cassie assumes. People close to death can hallucinate, naturally they lose their grip on this world as they begin to pass into another. They see their loved ones and hear them calling their names, beckoning them to the great beyond. It's easy to confuse that with a grim reaper. Cassie's reaper is her dad, calling her name as if he's far away, his voice only an echo as if it's coming through a speaker. She opens her eyes, staring up at the ceiling, her body numb beneath her. She swallows hard unable to deny her fear of the unknown. He calls to her again. Cassie inhales painfully, tears slipping quietly out of the corners of her eyes. It's a small comfort to know her angel is her dad. If anyone can push away the fear it would be him, he'd done it her whole life. "Cassie? Answer me please…" she blinks up at the ceiling. He sounds so real.

"Dad?" She expects to see a glowing ghost like version of her dad, smiling in a way that will take away all the fear. Hallow and weak she pleads with her angel, asking him to come to her rescue, to take her soul and to set her free. But he doesn't come. "Dad?" She turns her head to the left where she'd heard him whisper in her ear.

"Cassie where are you?" Her phone. He sounds so real because he is real. He's real and he's talking to her through the speaker of her cell phone sitting on the exam table next to her head. Her eyes go wide. "Can you tell me any –"

"Dad!" Cassie writhes against her bonds trying to get to the phone and turn it off. They cut into her wounds and skin. Slade wants her to be found so he can have his revenge and Cassie can't let that happen. She tugs desperately, shouting at the phone. "No! Hang up right now! You can't come it's a trap!" He's not listening to her, Cassie shouts louder. He needs to understand she isn't worth the risk anymore. Even if he can get to her he won't make it out. Better one of them survives than neither. "No! IT'S A TRAP! YOU CAN'T COME! HE'LL KILL –" Slade leans off the desk, she had been too preoccupied to notice him, he jabs his knife into the outside of her left thigh. Cassie screams, her leg flinching away from the sharp object only tearing the flesh more. Dizzy from the pain she drags her mind back to focusing on the task at hand, "Trap… don't come!"

"Daddy can't hear you anymore." Squinting through the pain she watches Slade wiggle her phone, the home screen showing more missed calls and text messages than she's ever seen. She smacks her head into the table, regretting it immediately when the creature inside starts clawing again. Tears blur her vision of the ceiling, she chances a look at her leg, lifting the weight of her skull to see a knife sticking up from the outer edge of her thigh and blood pooling on the table. Seeing it makes it hurt more. "And we both know he's coming. Nice try though." Cassie balls her hands into fists, the palm of her right hand burning. A heavy weight settles onto her chest; she was never going to stop him. "You are a very popular girl. Just look at all these texts and calls. Leslie's a very popular name on this list… she's the girl who I saw you talking to Friday night right?" Cassie chews the inside of her cheek to keep from reacting. If she doesn't react maybe she can keep Leslie safe. "Voicemail from Tim… hmmm."

"Ha ha Cassie, very funny. I know I was late but seriously where are you? We're…" Tim's voice plays over the speaker. It must be the night she went missing. He was late and she almost went home with Leslie but Slade got to her first.

"Turn it off!" Cassie growls through gritted teeth still fighting for air.

"Should have left him a note." He tosses the phone on the desk, swipes a blue green package off the box closest to him and moves to stand in front of the knife protruding from her leg. "Oh, didn't mean to hit the artery, sorry kid…" He rips the knife out and Cassie yelps, "Let me fix that." The fabric around the cut rips loudly and she pulls against her bonds but she's not even moving enough to disrupt his initial suture. If possible, her leg throbs more, a stabbing pain working its way deeper into her bones with each thread of the needle. She screams grinding her teeth together. "Can't have you bleeding out before daddy shows up now can I?" He steps back from her leg tossing the suture kit away. Cassie inhales hard, no one breath providing enough oxygen.

"Leave him alone! You've already taken everything from him… what else…" A coughing fit seizes her, when it's over she's surprised she doesn't taste blood. "What else do you want from him!?" She lets her head fall to the side, chest heaving, lips trembling.

"Nothing." He shrugs, "I wanted you but…"

"Fine!" She closes her eyes. Agreeing to Slade's terms is what she swore she'd never do, but she also swore she'd protect her dad and she couldn't lose someone else. Not after she failed to save Cat. Reluctantly her eyes open back up, "I'll do it… I'll be your apprentice just leave him out of it. Please." Cassie swallows, tears stinging her eyes, Slade did it. He broke her just like he said he would. "Please." He leans off the desk squatting to be at her eye level.

"You had your chance." There's nothing left he can threaten her with because he's already used and followed through with every possibility yet she still feels threatened. She turns her head toward the ceiling defeated and broken. Soon she would relive her worst nightmare, watching her parent die completely helpless to save them, only this time it would be her dad instead of her mom and a reality instead of a bad dream.


	52. Chapter 51

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Love hearing what you have to say!_

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Chapter 51:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

5:12 PM

Wally's POV:

He'd never run so fast in his life. Before he really knew what was happening Wally springs off the zeta platform into the Cave shouting the second the black haired heads of Bruce, Dick, and Tim, all already in uniform, manifest in his sight. "Where?" He skids to a stop in front Dick almost knocking him over. "Where is she?"

"The docks…" Tim points up at the screen, a red dot pulsing near the edge of the East side. "Narrowed it down to a specific vessel but we don't know where inside exactly. The steel must be blocking the signal." He presses a button and the screen blurs solidifying as a close up of a ship covered in the same red. "She's somewhere on that ship." Tim folds his arms, "Just not sure where exactly."

"That ship is good enough for me." Dick starts to back up toward the exit, reflex makes Wally grab his arm. Dick yanks his arm free halting his retreat.

"What happened exactly?" Wally narrows his eyes looking at Dick, "She called you and what?" Dick rolls his eyes the muscle in his cheek twitching.

"We're wasting time!" His chest heaves, hands clenched at his sides shaking with anger. Wally understands his rage, his whole body tingles with the anticipation. Cassie's finally within their grasp, the nightmare almost over, and they are just standing around the Cave. No not standing, strategizing, he had to remember that.

"She didn't call on her own. I doubt she had anything to do with it honestly." Bruce reaches across the computer controls pulling up a 3-D model of the ship and highlighting the entrances. "She sounded just as surprised to hear his voice as we did to hear hers," he cuts a quick glance at Dick avoiding their eyes, the tendons in his throat sticking out. "She said it's a trap and he shouldn't come."

"I don't care! It's always a trap and we always go anyway so we're going!" Wally puts his hand up to Dick signaling he needs to calm down, he smacks it aside pointing his finger in a random direction. "Every minute we stand here is another minute she's wondering why I'm not there!" His anxiety is contagious, Wally feels himself leaning toward the exit ready to run in blind.

"We can't just go barging in, she's right it's a trap. We have to be smarter than that. We need a plan." Bruce turns on Dick, his cowell hanging off his back. Dick steps forward his body rigid, poised to throw another punch.

"Mission plans never actually go according to plan! We should be at the docks by now…" Bruce opens his mouth to argue, Dick points to the screen but Wally ignores the cue and continues to watch the dynamic duo ready to jump if someone starts bleeding. "You want a plan so bad? Fine. We go in at the front starboard entrance and search every room until we find her, then once we do we overwhelm Slade and get her the hell out!" Wally shrugs, it's as good of a plan as any.

"And if he sees us coming? If she's too badly injured to move? What then Dick?" Bruce keeps his posture and voice calm, an obvious strain. The majority of Wally wants to smack him, he's just being difficult, and if this is just because of his overly inflated ego then they really are wasting precious time. "You aren't thinking about contingencies Dick. There are too many things that can go wrong for us to just go charging onto that ship."

"We can't plan for everything!"

"We can try." Wally rolls his eyes.

"No we can't. Planning for everything is pointless." They both look at him, Bruce with contempt and Dick with gratitude, "Planning for every possible problem would waste more time than we have and we couldn't plan for everything if we tried." Dick starts to back up again.

"Exactly my point." He starts to turn around, "Now let's go."

"Wait." Dick faces him shaking his head preparing to argue, "We can't plan for everything but we can plan for the major issues." Dick looks away shaking his head, "I want to go get her just as much as you do, believe me I do, but if we don't do this right the only thing we are going to accomplish is getting her killed." Dick closes his eyes. Wally watches fighting his own desire to throw caution to the wind. Finally Dick wipes his thumb across his upper lip and nods.

"We go in two teams, he can't ambush us that way." Some of the tension goes out of Bruce's shoulders, Wally's as well. "And we should keep radio silence until one of us locates them. It wouldn't surprise me if he was listening."

"Why just us four?" Wally cocks his head to the side, they need all the help they can get.

"More people means a higher likelihood of error." Tim talks toward the floor and looks up at him, eyes calculating. "If this was just about getting Slade then the more the merrier, but our priority is getting Cassie out alive. A small team like us has a better chance of getting in and getting out unnoticed, and, well, if he knows we're coming we need that advantage." Wally nods, this was why the Bat Family was usually running missions. They could see all the angles without even really trying because Bruce had taught them that one perspective was never enough.

"Okay, and we should assume Cassie's pretty beat up…" Wally chances a glance at Dick, his voice falling off. Dick takes a deep breath and nods for him to keep going. "So what? Carry in a medical kit with us?" All three of them shake their heads, a medical kit would be extra weight they didn't need. "We could have the bioship waiting outside? Medical supplies in that not to mention a fast get away if we need it."

"It's smart but," Dick shrugs, "None of us can fly the bioship and go inside." Wally looks down at his shoes, he knows someone at home in bed who can.


	53. Chapter 52

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. I had a rough time writing this chapter so if you guys have any comments or suggestions for how it could have been better please don't hesitate!_

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Chapter 52:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

6:17 PM

Dick's POV:

Covered in dark shadows the ship looms before them; a massive steel trap. Dick's eyes flit across the deck picking out what they can in the fading light of the sun. His fingers twitch into fists, Cassie's inside, he can feel it. Each muscle is rigid with tension, Slade's somewhere inside too. Whether he is more anxious to face Slade or more desperate to reach Cassie he can't quite tell. He just needs to get inside.

"One minute." Wally lifts his wrist to Dick's eye his watch reading 6:19, "You ready?" Dick nods. In less than sixty seconds they would head into the ship at the bow while Batman and Robin entered from the stern and both teams would work their way toward the center of the vessel clearing rooms as they went. Dick takes a deep breath conscious that he's walking into a trap and Cassie's the bait. If he can't keep his head together they're both dead. "Three…" His heart pounds, "Two…" This is it. Whatever happens tonight it's going to be the last time Slade hurts him or his family. "Go." One way or another this will end. They slink onto the ship.

The deck is covered in puddles of water from the earlier rain, Dick treads carefully to avoid them while following Kid Flash across the deck to the upper level stair case. It's best to start high and work their way down. At the top of the stairs Kid presses himself to the wall next to their entrance, a rounded hatch set into the steel. Dick pulls open the door and steps inside, his foot landing next to several small dark spots on the floor. Dick swallows, his stomach churning.

"Think that's Cassie's?" He looks down both sides of the hall clearing it. Dick rubs the back of his neck, he was the first one through the door, and he should have done that – rookie mistake.

"Yeah… I do." He pulls a small flashlight from his utility belt and turns right down the hall searching the floor for more blood but Wally has better luck down the left side. Several feet away, a few red-brown drops point them down the hall. Dick tries not to imagine what Slade did to draw blood, taking minimal comfort in the fact that there isn't very much of it on the ground in the first place. Shoving the thought into the back of his mind Dick hugs the corridor wall following the blood's directions.

They travel in silence, chasing the blood as it shows up every few feet in small clusters of drops. With each doorway Dick's stomach does a flip hoping that Cassie's behind it but she's not. Each room is cleared and reveals nothing. It's hard not to think about how the blood got there. It's fallen in drops, not smeared along the floor which means she was carried. Dick cringes envisioning Cassie limp and bleeding slung over Slade's shoulder as he parades her down these dark halls. The blood continues to lead them down deeper into the ship, after so many turns Dick starts to mark the walls with a white grease pencil so that they can find their way back out. As he marks another turn Kid grabs his shoulder, puts a finger to his lips, and points to the nearest door, open just a crack, with faint yellow light pouring into the dark hallway. Without thinking Dick bolts for the door.

"What are you…Stop!" Wally shoves him backwards with a harsh whisper. He looks back at the door to make sure it's still closed then faces Dick again, his mouth in a hard line. "Are you crazy? It's a trap, we know it's a trap, and you are just going to go running in there?!" Dick stares at the door. On the other side is Cassie, he has to get to her. Whatever happens between then and now is just details. Wally pushes him back further. "You can't save Cassie if you just go barging in there. And I can't save her if I have to worry about you getting yourself killed." Looking up at his best friend Dick feels small, like he did when they were younger and he was too short to do anything but look up at and to him. Dick rolls out his neck and nods, shaking away the suicidal tendency.

"Yeah… you're right. I'm good." He glances past KF at the door then back at him. "So much for surprise. There's only one way in and it's through that door." They glance up and down the hallway looking for another way in the solid steel.

"So do we call Bats now?" They stare at the door from several feet away. "They might not even be in there." Dick licks his lips, drumming his fingers on his leg. Calling Batman now is risky, Slade could be listening and if he's not in there then they not only give away their number but their positions as well.

"Okay, I have an idea and you can't argue with me." Wally opens his mouth to argue, Dick puts a hand up. "We don't have a lot of options or time. So just… I'm not suicidal I swear." Wally's eyebrows lift into his hair line and Dick knows he just made him more nervous. Dick closes his eyes speaking in a rapid whisper. "I'm going to go in alone." Wally shakes his head fervently adamantly protesting, "Shut up! Look if they aren't in there then it's no big deal, and if they are; you are going to be right here in the shadows watching. If they are in there you activate your tracker and call Bats. I'll find Cassie and keep Slade busy in the meantime." Wally shakes his head at the floor, hands on his hips. Dick throws his head back almost hissing, "We don't have any other choice! If we call him now and it turns out to be nothing we just compromised the whole operation." Wally looks up, still shaking his head.

"Fine." He speaks through gritted teeth and Dick doesn't wait for him to change his mind. He stands before the door, heart in his throat, and suddenly he doesn't want to know what's on the other side. Just beyond this door is Dick's worst nightmare; his daughter in the hands of the man who murdered his wife. Wally places a hand on his shoulder, nods at Dick and slips into the shadow next to the door. With a deep breath Dick grips the metal door and yanks it back drenching himself in the harsh unnatural light. He steps over the threshold squinting down another metal staircase. The room is large and open, obviously what remains of the boiler room and maybe even some cargo space. His stomach lurches for a moment seeing no signs of a trap immediately around him. No traps is a good indicator that Slade isn't there. He looks up, across the room, and his heart stops beating. He sees Slade leaning over a gurney with Cassie strapped down on top of it.


	54. Chapter 53

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. The next few chapters were really fun for me to write, as sick as some of my friends find that. It was just something about the drama and intensity of the scene. It was also a challenge to capture the mood and feelings I wanted so that may have contributed to my enjoyment. I hope you guys have as much fun reading them as I did writing them!_

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Chapter 53:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

6:31 PM

Dick's POV:

Slade saw him the second he walked in so there's no use trying to stay hidden, Dick charges down the stairs forgetting that he is supposed to be stalling until reinforcements arrive. He can't see Cassie well because she's lying down so far away but he can tell she's fighting the restraints, she moves as much as she can beneath her bonds yelling for him to turn around. Dick shakes his head and his eyes harden, he's not leaving here without her.

"Daddy finally decided to show…" His voice is like razor blades on stone. "That's far enough." He pulls a hand gun from behind him and points it at Cassie's head. She stops moving and shouting under its aim and Dick skids to a stop, his hand hovering over his utility belt. "Really think you can throw one of those discs before I can pull the trigger?" Slade moves the gun closer to her head, a challenge in his voice. Cassie turns her head to look at him, her eyes wide and skin pale. Dick drops his hand. "Take off the belt. Toss it over there." Cassie shakes her head but Dick does as he's told. Satisfied Slade proceeds to release the restraints on Cassie's limbs. She curls her hand into a fist waiting for it to be set free and this time it's Dick who shakes his head. Slade comes around the table and releases the fist which she miraculously doesn't throw then harshly yanks her off the table. Dick flinches, taking a step forward, and Slade pulls her upright pressing the barrel of the gun to her temple. Cassie recoils from its touch.

"Are you okay?" It feels like worst question to ask. Obviously she's not okay; she's in unfamiliar clothes, one of her sleeves is ripped clean off, there's a slice through the fabric and muscle of her left thigh that has been crudely stitched up, her bottom lip is puffy and cracked, there's blood pasted to her right side, and the bruises stand out dark purple against her pale skin. She's not okay. She's the furthest thing from okay.

"I told you not to come." Her voice is flat, eyes searching his. Dick cringes at the fear he sees in them. And the guilt she shouldn't know beneath that fear burns Dick's own eyes. His hands ball into fists, Slade didn't just beat her body, he messed with her mind.

"Daddy's never been very good at doing what he's told." Slade leans down to Cassie's ear, "Yet another thing you two have in common."

"Well I'm doing what I'm told now so let her go." Out of the corner of his eye Dick thinks he sees something yellow move, he forces his eyes forward resisting the urge to look for Kid Flash.

"You had your chance." He points the gun at Dick then waves it back toward Cassie, "I moved on." He wraps both hands around Cassie's upper arms, the gun pointing diagonally away in his hand. The lack of care with which he handles the thing that could easily rip the life out of Cassie is unnerving. "Found someone prettier." Standing behind her, Slade shakes Cassie gently, the movement makes her stumble and for a moment she seems as though she is going to fall forward but Slade pulls her backward until she's leaning into his chest for support. Dick's body lurches forward a step. Seeing Slade's hands on Cassie, his body pressed against her, Dick wants to spring forward and wring his neck. "Ah…" Slade warns and touches the gun back to her head. His jaw grinding and body rigid Dick leans back on his heel. "She's fine. Stitched her up myself." Bile works its way up Dick's throat.

"If you can hear this take a step backwards." Wally's voice whispers in his ear and it's hard not to react from the surprise alone. After a seconds hesitation he takes a step back. "We have an idea. As soon as I get an opening I'm going to go get her, then you guys can rush him." His heart flutters with worry, a plan changes the situation and puts Cassie in danger. Granted, a stalemate isn't very safe but it is a controlled situation at least.

"Backing down already?" Slade's voice is almost giddy, he drops the gun again, holding Cassie by both of her arms once more. Dick cringes at the submissive action even though he knows it wasn't submissive at all. In reality it was defiant. "What happened to the Robin I used to know?"

"Shut up." Cassie's voice surprises him more than Wally's. She sounds even more tired than when he first heard her speak. "You don't know anything so just shut up!" The anger ripples through her making her seem stronger than a few seconds ago.

"I've had it with your attitude." Slade wraps his free hand around the back of her neck and turns her to face him pointing the gun at her chest. Dicks heart rate sky rockets. He steps forward wishing Wally would take his chance already. Slade inclines his head briefly toward Dick reminding him he isn't supposed to be moving then turns back toward Cassie.

"And I've had it with you acting like you know everything about us. You don't know anything!" Dick prays he imagines it but he thinks he sees her leaning into the gun, caught up in the moment and throwing her whole body into the argument. "You don't. You never did." Slade tilts her head up, Cassie winces, her hand reflexively going toward his on her neck.

"Cassie be quiet!" Dick's eyes dart between his daughter and his enemy the blood rushing in his ears. Slade's shoulder starts to rise toward his ear, the gun rising ever so slightly with it and his fingers tensing over the trigger.

"No." Cassie swallows, her voice growing thick. Dick's jaw clenches, moments like this are not good times for her to be rebellious. "He's going to kill me anyway." Her hand falls and she shrugs with a grimace. Dick feels like his lungs are about to explode out of his chest, the room burns with a sudden heat even though he's cold to his core. Cassie doesn't look at him, instead she talks directly to Slade. "You killed Cat." Dick stares at her, Cat was a name he had never heard. "You killed my mom." Her voice wavers, Dick shakes his head. "And I'm next. This was always the plan wasn't it? Use me to torture my dad, kill us off one way or another?" Dick steps forward unsure of what he's going to do. Cassie finally glances at him, "I told you not to come."

"Well if you want to die so bad..." He moves the gun to the left and pulls the trigger. The world slows down as the bullet leaves the barrel, Cassie's scream echoing through the room.


	55. Chapter 54

_A/N: I don't own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Read! Review! Enjoy! Thanks!_

* * *

Chapter 54:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

6:36 PM

Cassie's POV:

The world is dominated by red. Not just red. Fire. Flames searing through Cassie's shoulder and spreading throughout her chest. Slowly it stops spreading and starts to condense into a white hot point pulsing with her heartbeat in her shoulder. Then suddenly its worse and she opens her eyes staring up at Kid Flash pressing his hand to her shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers. Cassie's mind goes wild, trying to process what happened in the last five seconds. She was shot in the shoulder and her God Father showed up at her left side out of nowhere. He presses harder on her shoulder and Cassie yelps.

"He missed?" She lifts her head briefly to see the wound. "Point blank range and he missed! Are you kidding me?" Kid stares down at her, his eyes a mixture of relief, terror, and confusion. Cassie drops her head back to the ground, part of her disappointed Slade still refused to kill her. It would have made things so much simpler.

"I really don't think he missed." He looks around him for something biting his bottom lip and leaning all of his weight onto her shoulder. Cassie angles herself away because the pressure hurts. Somewhere behind her Cassie hears the sounds of fighting. "If I don't stop the bleeding you'll die anyway." Someone grunts but it doesn't sound like Slade or her dad and Cassie turns to see not just her dad fighting Slade, but Batman and Robin as well. Cassie starts to push herself up, desperate to get in on the fight, but between Wally pushing her back down and the pain that shoots through her she doesn't make it more than two inches off the ground.

"Help them!" She swings her head back and forth between Kid and the fighting quartet, eyes wide and panicked.

"You're bleeding out." Cassie tries to wriggle her way out from under him but the effort makes her tired and dizzy, when she looks back at them her vision is blurry but she can still see Slade keeping the three heroes in front of him and landing a punch that sends Batman himself reeling backwards. "There are three of them, they'll be fine. Stop you're making it worse!" In an attempt to stop her from fighting him Kid swings his body over so he's straddling her. Beneath all of his body weight Cassie finds it hard to breath let alone fight.

"I don't care!" Her cheek resting on the floor Cassie watches Robin get kicked sideways and go rolling across the floor toward Cat's body clutching his ribcage. She tries to push Walley off with her right hand smearing blood from the cut on her palm across his chest. "He's going to kill them! We have to help! Let me up!" Wally turns her face to look up at him, "Let me up!"

"No!" He leans all of his weight onto the hand still compressing her wound, Cassie yelps and tires to peel his hand away. "You feel that Cassie? Slade shot you! And now you are bleeding to death so, no, I will not let you up!" Wally looks briefly at the fighting, "We came here to rescue you and if I have to knock you out cold to do it I will."

"But…" Cassie tries to pull her chin out of Wally's grip which is surprisingly sturdy despite the bloody lubricant all over his fingers, "My dad –"

"Came here to save you." Cassie stops trying to pull his hand off her shoulder and lets her head fall back to the ground. Kid looks behind him, there's a brief second where his weight is gone and then he's back on top of her unwrapping two packs of gauze. Cassie looks over at the medical supply boxes noticing one is now tipped over from him rummaging through it at the speed of light. "What would he be saying right now Cassie?" He pushes the gauze to the wound and Cassie winces, her eyes closed, shaking her head. "What would he say?"

"He'd yell at me for talking back to Slade and for getting shot…" She opens her eyelids and immediately wants to let them fall shut again.

"Yeah, I might start myself." He smiles down at her. Cassie squints, and then finds herself smiling too. It feels good to smile, like it's a reassurance that everything could still be okay. "What's the number one rule Cassie?" Cassie takes a painful breath.

"Don't die." His smiles goes away replaced by a hard line, he looks at the gauze, his eyes going wide for a moment, then looks back down at her. "I'll do my best." Behind them she finally hears Slade shout in pain, and that brings a smile to her face once again.

"Damn." A red pad in his hand Wally looks around again. Cassie looks at her shoulder, the remaining gauze bright with her blood. "Something thicker…. Thicker…" Wally mumbles to himself looking behind Cassie's head. "Robin!" Cassie jumps, "Robin! Give me your cape!" Within seconds Robin comes running over cape in hand breathing hard. He slows to a stop mouth slightly open and Cassie wants to ask him what's so shocking but he speaks first.

"Oh God Cassie." He shoves the cape at Kid who grabs it and immediately fastens it around her shoulder. "We need to get her out, look at her! The… blood…"

"Cassie keep talking." Her brain is moving slowly, to process what Wally said is like trying to swim through a pool of honey.

"About what?" Tim kneels on her right side, Cassie stares up at him. He leans forward as if about to speak then leans back again.

"Anything. Sing a song for all I ca –" Wally glances up from her wound for a second and his body goes rigid sitting up straighter. Beneath his mask his eyes widen, "Crap!" He grabs Tim's shoulder and yanks him toward the bleeding shoulder shouting orders as he scrambles off Cassie. "Do not take your hands off that and keep her talking!" Somehow the panic in his voice swims through her honey thick brain like it's just water.

"What's going on?" Tim goes to her left side leaning both his hands onto the makeshift bandaging but staring after Kid Flash. Cassie wants to look as well but he holds her head steady. "What happened?!" Cassie's heart pounds and images of her dad dead play across her mind, followed by her mom dead in a field, and Cat strung up on the railing.


	56. Chapter 55

_A/N: I don't own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. Review! Thanks!_

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Chapter 55:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

6:43 PM

Cassie's POV:

People always assume the best way to keep someone from panicking is to act like there is nothing to panic about. They pretend whatever it is that's happening isn't really happening. You were just shot? Don't worry, I doubt it hit anything important. You're still bleeding? It's okay let's talk about something irrelevant. You just watched your dad's best friend panic and run off? Let me hold your head in place so you can't look and see what's going on. Cassie tries to turn her head out of Tim's grasp but all it really does is make her dizzy and add to the anxiety.

"Let me see! What's going on?" He looks down at her, then back up, then back down and forgets to look back up when he meets her eyes. "You can't just keep me from looking! Why did Wally run? What happened?" Cassie can feel her voice raise to a screech.

"You have to calm down." Cassie shakes her head and fights harder to turn her head making herself dizzier and dizzier and her body feel heavier and heavier. "Cassie stop!"

"Then tell me what happened!" Inhaling feels like forcing water into her lungs. "Wally runs off freaking out and you don't tell me anything?!"

"If it was that important I would tell you but it's not." His voice becomes stern, taking on an older persona. "You need to calm down, you're losing too much blood." Even though it hurts Cassie nods and takes deep breaths that fail to slow her heartbeat much. She lets her eyes drop closed hoping that will help it along. "No." Tim smacks her cheek until she opens her eyes again. "Talk Cassie." He presses his hand back to her shoulder.

"About what?" The swimming through honey feeling starts to come back, the furthest reaches of her body starting to go numb and tingly. Cassie blinks up at the ceiling dizzy even without moving.

"I don't know. Anything!" Pressure on her chest starts to constrict her lungs more. Breathing in water would be easier than breathing this oxygen-less air. "You usually don't have a problem finding something to talk about." Cassie opens her mouth to respond but is overcome by a coughing fit echoing through the room. Each cough rakes her body with shudders of pain as it ripples over bruised muscles and tugs at torn flesh. Tim pulls her up into his lap so she's more or less in a sitting position to make it easier to breath. When the coughing stops Tim leans her back into his chest so he can keep pressure on the bullet hole.

Sitting with Tim is more than a small comfort. He's familiar and his presence reminds her of home, family, friends, fun, and everything else she had been deprived of while stuck on this ship from hell. She heaves trying to replenish the air in her body and starts to feel her eyes be tugged shut. If she closed them she could imagine she was back home sitting with Tim on the couch watching TV. If she closed them she could leave this horrid place. If she closed them it would all be over. Her head falls forward carrying the rest of her with it, and then she's shaking. No. Tim is shaking her back and forth. Cassie tries to tell him to stop and let her go to sleep but her mouth won't work. She's just so tired. Her head falls to the left and she sees it a foot away from her thigh – the gun. Blinking at it she remembers: _Slade shot me._ Still a little confused she looks up, Tim still shakes her shoulders, and Cassie goes cold from what she sees. This was why Wally ran. Slade has her dad by the hair, a knife ready to slit his throat. Clarity starts to come back into her mind, her eyes fighting their desire to close. Someone needs to do something.

"Go!" Her voice is breathy and quiet. So frail Cassie knows it's worthless to try to save her now. Whatever this last burst of energy or clarity is: it's fleeting. Like a cancer patient on her last good day she has hardly any time left. "I'm a lost cause! Go!" Her heart pounds.

"You are going to make it!" Tim presses his palms to the hole in her shoulder again his tone definite and final. "I'm not leaving you." Cassie's eyes dart between Slade and her dad. She can tell he's shouting something at Slade but it's muffled to her ears. He turns to face Slade, the blade drawing blood that trickles into the collar of his suit. Cassie's fingers dig into Tim's leg with the little strength she has left. Cassie shakes her head.

"No… no no no!" Tim pulls her back against him. "Please, no!" Cassie's eyes are glued to the knife at her dad's neck. There's nothing they can do. Nothing she can do. She forces herself to think rationally, ignore the pain and the allure of peace in death long enough to find something to get her dad out alive. Tim presses harder on her shoulder and she winces. Cassie glances down at her shoulder wrapped in Tim's cape and hands.

"He shot me…" Her hand travels weakly to the bloody wrappings then she looks back up at her savior and her captor still facing each other the knife keeping them separated. If Slade's using a knife right now that means his gun is somewhere else. She looks down and to the left, the gun that shot her laying on the floor next to them. She wonders what made him drop it then decides she doesn't care. In a split second decision, too fast for Tim to stop her from slipping out of his grasp and with whatever remaining energy and strength she has left, Cassie lunges for the gun. Shooting a gun isn't something she's accustomed too because she doesn't kill her targets, she arrests them, but that didn't mean she had never learned how to shoot one.


	57. Chapter 56

_A/N: These characters are the property of DC Nation. Thanks for reading! Review! Thanks_

* * *

Chapter 56:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

6:43 PM

Dick's POV:

"Robin! Robin Give me your cape!" Dick turns along with Tim. He chokes on air seeing Cassie lying in a pool of dark red with Wally on top of her desperately trying to stop it from growing any larger. Tim runs over to them, cape in hand, and Dick understands; Wally's having trouble stopping the bleeding. He takes a step forward, he should be at Cassie's side. No matter what happens he should be by her side through it.

"Nightwing!" Dick spins and ducks just in time to dodge a fist aimed at his head. From below he tackles Slade, picking him up off his feet and dumping him hard on his back. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Batman wiping blood off his lower lip and it fuels his rage. He winds up to kick Slade on the ground but his foot is caught and pulled forward. In the moment when his center of gravity is disrupted Dick remembers to catch himself and lands on his forearms in a plank position. When something sharp digs into his lower back and an arm wraps around his throat from behind he knows he should have stood up faster.

"Predictable…" Dick tries to force his way out of the arm hold and receives another sharp stab in return that sends him cringing to the right and makes him easy to stand up. He groans to stop himself from shouting and tries to pull Slade's arm away because it's crushing his windpipe. Again Dick is thrown off balance as Slade swings him around to face Batman and Kid Flash. Immediately his eyes go to Wally who should be with Cassie, a quick glance in her direction reveals Robin has taken over his position. Slade forces Dick's chin up and he feels the sharp point of a knife against his adam's apple. The knife against his throat doesn't concern him however, what worries him is the blood smear on Kid's chest. Dick stares at Wally's red gloves wondering how much blood the fabric of his uniform is camouflaging

"You're outnumbered…" Batman steps forward, his hand wrapped around what Dick thinks is an explosive. "Let him go. You are just making this worse for yourself." Wally cuts Bruce a look that Dick himself shares. Slade moves his hand from Dick's chin to his hair and pulls back further exposing his neck.

"I don't think this can get much worse for me." Dick clenches his jaw at Slade's voice so close to his ear. "Isn't that right?" Dick scoffs and looks at Cassie lying on the floor growing paler and paler.

"I'm going to kill you either way." It's in that moment that Dick realizes he means it. He'd never taken a life purposely before. He could never bring himself to sink down to that level. But watching Tim frantically try to keep Cassie awake doesn't make Dick want to fall to his knees and grieve, instead the only thing he wants to do is take the knife from his throat and drive it into Slade's heart. He wants to make up for letting Star die. He wants to make up for letting Cassie get taken. He wants revenge.

"I've heard that one before…"

"You shot my daughter…" Dick's eyes stay with Cassie until Wally steps into his view of her. They lock eyes for a moment, Wally reminding him to stay focused. "Trust me…" Coughing echoes throughout the room, Dick hopes blood isn't coming up out of Cassie's throat. "This time I mean it." Slade tugs Dick's hair to make him look at him, the very edge of the knife painfully kissing Dick's skin.

"It didn't have to be like this."

"You mean I could have let you brain wash me when I was my daughter's age?" Dick narrows his eyes finding those feelings of resentment and hate coming back ten times stronger than they were when he was sixteen.

"Well yes but I wasn't talking about you." Dick winces when the knife presses a little bit deeper. "I was talking about her." Slade turns his head in Cassie's direction talking indirectly to Dick. "You, I was always going to kill, she's right about that but I tried so hard not to have to kill her. It's really a shame." He shakes his head at the waste. Dick balls his hand into a fist ready to punch him for even looking in her general vicinity. "Maybe it was always going to happen." He turns his head back on Dick, "She is your daughter after all. You raised her to be what she is." Dick squares his shoulders so he's facing Slade directly, he has to lean on his left foot more and avoid pressing into the blade at his neck. "I was never going to break her so I guess she's right, she was always going to die. But if that's the case…" Dick can almost see the smile beneath the face plate, "I'm not the person who killed her." Dick has to remind himself she could still be alive.

"You pulled the trigger!" Dick's rage carries him forward until he feels the cut of metal on flesh again. "You kidnapped her, tortured her, and then pulled the trigger!"

"You really don't get it do you?" His voice drops to a menacing angry growl, "She didn't have to die! I was going to give her everything and she's letting herself die all because I killed off some irrelevant college kid. She could have lived but you preconditioned her to think her life is worth less than every other good for nothing person she passes on the street." Dick recoils from his lies. They have to be lies. His heart beats rapidly pulsing in the stab wounds on his right side and stinging the small slice beneath Slade's blade. "I pulled the trigger but I'm not the one that put her in front of the gun." He leans in closer to Dick's face, his voice clear and harsh like the truth. "You are." Dick's body slackens as he tries to prove it false. He looks toward the floor just in time to hear the bang and miss the bullet as it flies through Slade's skull.


	58. Chapter 57

_A/N: I don't own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation. Almost to the end you guys! I love hearing what you have to say!_

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Chapter 57:

Thursday; 15 September 2013

6:57 PM

Dick's POV:

When you want something so bad it consumes you. It fills out every inch of your flesh and takes over everything else. Everything you do is shadowed by that one desperate all-encompassing desire. That need drives you and torments you. Then when it's finally gone, when you finally reach your goal, fulfilled it, you can't believe it. How could such a prominent part of your life just be over? Gone and never to return. Dick stares down uncomprehendingly at Slade on the floor. The knife rests in his open palm, a pool of blood seeping from beneath his skull, his exposed eye blank and frozen still looking out on the world. His surroundings seem to stop. A second ago Slade was holding a knife to his throat and now he is lying motionless on the floor. Hands shake his shoulders and someone turns his chin up. Dick shakes his head away and blinks at Kid Flash his brain still trying to process the gun shot playing over and over again in his ears.

"Dick… Are you okay?... Dick!" All at once the world snaps back into focus.

"What?" Dick touches a hand to his neck, his fingers coming away wet with blood. Wally grabs his wrist.

"You've got to snap out of it." Dick looks up at him trying to reel his mind back in, Wally looks over his shoulder then back at Dick his eyes wide and voice pleading. "Now! Cassie needs you!" Dick nods and lets Wally push him in Cassie's direction.

As soon as his feet start moving he's running, Cassie was the reason he was there. Slade was just the distraction and now he's gone. He doesn't even really see her at first, his eyes go straight to the puddle of blood in the spot where she first fell. When he finally looks at her she doesn't look like Cassie anymore. The girl lying on the floor before him is a pale ghost of Cassie barely clinging to this world. Dick falls to his knees. Voices sound around him. Tim keeps a firm hand on her bleeding shoulder. Dick wipes blood away from her cheek and leaves some of his own streaked in its place. He tries to wipe that away too but it's useless with fingers dipped in red. There's a rush of wind and Dick turns to find Wally missing.

"Dad?" He whips his head back, Cassie's deep blue eyes squint up at him as if trying to decide if he's really there.

"Yeah, yeah it's me…" Dick runs his fingers through her hair pulling out the tangles and trying to keep his voice even. "You've got to hold on, we're gunna get you out of here." Her chest barely rises with each breath.

"Dad I'm sorry… I…" She's interrupted by a cough tearing its way past her colorless lips. After, she blinks up at the ceiling with watery eyes at something only she can see. Dick shakes his head down at her pleading with her to stay. The last time he felt this helpless he had been holding Star in his arms while she bled out. Now the life leaks out of Cassie and again there is nothing he can do to stop it.

Friday; 16 September 2013

Cassie's POV

11:20 AM

The world is bright. Too bright. _I'm dead_. People always talk about a bright white light at the end of the tunnel don't they? That's what this has to be. She died and this is the beacon calling her to kingdom come. Cassie squints at the void wondering where exactly the tunnel is. The light was supposed to be awe-inspiring bright spot in the distance drawing her into its warmth. But this light isn't welcomingly calling her out of the dark, instead it's so harsh and overpowering she wants to shy away. Somewhere inside the emptiness a familiar sound resonates. Cassie's eyes flutter reluctant to open and behold the white void.

"Can you hear me?" Cassie whimpers faintly. Echoing through the space her dad's voice grazes her ear drums. "C'mon baby, open your eyes." She does the opposite. If her dad is here it means pulling the trigger had been useless and Slade killed him anyway. Another person she failed to save. She shakes her head wondering if it's possible to cry when you're dead. Painfully, her chest heaves and Cassie decides if she's being punished she doesn't care. It's what she deserves after letting so many people die. Between heaving breaths she mumbles apologies, her voice hoarse and throat like sandpaper. "It's okay. Cassie open your eyes." Someone cups her face, Cassie paws at the familiar touch her heart cracking to know she dragged her dad down with her. Tears slip from beneath her eyelids. "Cassie look at me." His voice is stern but gentle. Cassie can't. If she looks at him it will destroy what little hope she still has that he isn't really there, he could still be a figment of her imagination. If she sees him it makes it real. "Open your eyes." His voice drops lower, Cassie bites down sharply on her scabbed lip. "Please." His voice finally cracks as he wipes an escaped tear from beneath her eye. Her eyes fluttering, Cassie stares down as the white recedes and solidifies into solid objects: a green hospital gown, a white sheet, and her own hands, thin and pale, resting in her lap. She catches herself thinking that a hospital bed is a strange setting for either Heaven or Hell. Her eyes linger on the black lines stitched into her right palm as her face is pulled up. She tries to ignore her dad in the top portion of her peripheral vision, still clinging to the hope he isn't really there. "Cassie, it's okay. I'm right here." Before she can change her mind Cassie flicks her eyes up and her breath catches. Staring back at her, his eyes bluer than ever beneath a thick watery shine, her dad stares back at her undeniably alive.

"You're alive…?" Cassie searches his face not sure she believes it. Wally catches her eye, laughing and mumbling something to himself at the edge of her bed his eyes brimming over with relief. Her dad nods and smiles down at her. Without a moment's notice Cassie shoots forward and wraps her arms around his neck afraid to let go. He holds her tightly, so tightly it hurts and something in her chest feels as if it will snap but it feels so good to be in his arms where it's safe Cassie doesn't dare say anything about it.


	59. Chapter 58

_A/N: These characters belong to DC Nation, not to myself. Thanks for reading! Love to hear what you think! Thanks!_

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Chapter 58:

Friday; 16 September 2013

8:37 PM

Cassie's POV:

People turn to plastic when something horrible happens. Or at least they try to. Everything is about keeping the victim calm. After any kind of traumatic event there is always a trigger; it could be something as common as a loud bang, as obvious as talking about what happened, or as subtle as a change in someone's tone. No loud noises. No questions. And no emotion. Become a plastic doll for the first 24 – 48 hours and the victim shouldn't freak out. Cassie however hates to be treated like the victim, even when she is one. The more they treat her like she is broken the worse the pain becomes. If the injuries themselves aren't enough, she has the pained expressions of her family to remind her how helpless and useless she is. She tugs at the sling supporting her left arm trying to displace the itchy fabric irritating her stitched up elbow and gritting her teeth against the pain even that little motion inspires in her shoulder.

"Stop pulling at it." Tim leans in the doorway; hands in the pockets of his jeans, loose blue T-shirt making his eyes shine in the unnatural light, and his hair dripping a little as if he just came out of the shower. Cassie scoffs, a shower would make her feel ten times better but that, of course, isn't going to happen. Since she woke up earlier this morning she'd fallen back asleep and been woken up again by nightmares more times than she cared to count and whenever she's awake she's never been alone for longer than two minutes. He leans off the door and comes to sit in the chair by her bed. "Please stop." Cassie stops fidgeting annoyed that he said please and surprised that she misses the usual way people bark orders at her. No one was ever polite when it came to forcing Cassie into self-care; she never listened in the first place. She slouches back into the pillows careful not to shock the stitches threaded through her lower side.

"Where's my dad?" He had never not been there when she woke up. Tim leans back fidgeting in his chair choosing his words carefully. Irritably, Cassie picks at the edge of the white sheet covering her legs.

"He went to take care of something with Bruce and Wally." He avoids her eyes and it's not hard for Cassie to guess what he's talking about. "He'll be back soon. Don't worry."

"You know, I don't even really remember pulling the trigger." She stares down at her trigger hand, imagining the gun resting against her palm. She can still feel the chill of its deadly metal pressed into her flesh, "I know I did it. I can feel it. I just…" She shakes her head, twisted curls of tangled hair falling over her face. "Don't remember actually doing it." Her hand falls carelessly back into her lap. Tim licks his lips, apparently more uncomfortable with the topic than Cassie.

"Cassie…" Tim clasps his hands in front of him and takes a deep breath, "It's not important right now. They'll be back soon." Cassie nods her head, a mistake because every movement hurts.

"Seriously?" He looks up at her, eyes narrowed, "You're just going to… you know what forget it. I don't even care. What I really want to know is why I haven't seen Bruce yet?" She talks fast. At this point just about ready to ask him anything to get a straight answer. All of the coddling is too much to bear. "Everyone else has come by but no Bruce." Tim's expression turns hard and angry, he looks down at the floor. Cassie puts as much sarcasm into her words as she can muster, "Yeah you're right, why should I care? Not a big deal really. He's just my grandfather…" Tim rubs the back of his neck. "No big deal." When he looks back up his eyes are hot and his jaw is clenched; Cassie has to hide a smile. Getting Tim to show any kind of real emotion, even if its anger, is an accomplishment. With an effort he takes a deep breath and presses his fingertips together talking to the bed more than to her.

"Cassie, now's not the time."

"Of course…" She looks up at the ceiling staring at the light fixture until Tim starts to talk again and the light burns her retinas. "When is it going to be the time Tim? Huh?" The dark spot in her vision blocks out Tim's face. Her voice rises with anger and frustration. "You can't keep pretending nothing happened! Or avoiding that it did!"

"I know, but right now…" Cassie scoffs and shakes her head too angry to look Tim in the eye. "Damn it Cassie! You really think I'm not thinking about it? How could I avoid it? Every time I see you… Just look at yourself!" Cassie snaps her blazing gaze back on him.

"I have Tim!" Immediately his face falls, minutely, but it does. His eyes widen a little and he drops his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees. "There are more bandages on me than skin, I'm being held together by stitches, and every time I move I feel like I'm being ripped apart." Cassie presses her eyes shut tightly against the memories, "I know exactly what happened Tim because I was there! I was there!" Her voice trembles with so many emotions fighting for their way to the surface. She blinks back tears desperate not to lose control, through the curtain of her hair she can see Tim with wide eyes watching her. "I can't sleep for more than an hour without scaring myself awake and every time something hurts I feel it happen all over again… I'm screwed up and I know it, okay?" Cassie sucks in a deep breath, the heat of the moment subsiding and leaving her hollow. Tim gets up from his seat and sits on the edge of the bed, the mattress shifting beneath his weight. Cassie looks up at him, his lips pressed in a hard line. "I am seriously messed up and I know you are all just trying to protect me but… the way everyone around here walks on eggshells around me and treats me like I'm crumbling makes me… makes me feel like I am." Tim regards her intently from below his dark lashes, Cassie shrugs with a wince. "I need some kind of normalcy. I need people to be real with me. I need to figure all this out for myself and it's not helping that no one will let me." He rubs the back of his neck and stares down at his folded leg. "Can you stop protecting me and just go back to being my best friend? I need my best friend back." Tim looks up, his eyes sad, "Please, Tim." He looks back down at his leg picking at a loose thread in the cuff of his sweats.

"I really missed my best friend." Tim smiles sadly at her and Cassie exhales a breath she wasn't aware she was holding.


	60. Chapter 59

_A/N: DC Nation holds the rights to these characters. Thanks for all your support and reviews!_

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Chapter 59:

Friday; 16 September 2013

11:37 PM

Dick's POV:

Exhausted Dick collapses into the chair next to Cassie's bed rubbing his brow with tense fingers. The slam of the incinerator door still ringing in his ears after they put Slade's body inside, he tries to focus more on the steady beep of the heart monitor keeping rhythm with Cassie's heart. He stares at Cassie's sleeping form trying to force the image of Slade falling down dead out of his brain. More specifically the sickening fact that it was Cassie who pulled the trigger. He's afraid of what she's thinking. The League recognized that it was not judge, jury, and executioner. They were the special ops team that brought in the crazies the police couldn't handle. They purposely held back to spare the lives of people who didn't deserve it. They didn't kill if they could help it. But this time, Cassie did. And she wasn't wrong. Slade had it coming and if she hadn't Dick would be lying on a metal slab right now. Dick stares at the wall next to her head wondering why he isn't happier that it's all permanently over. The comforting beat of Cassie's heart changes, picking up speed, Dick stares at the monitor in disbelief watching her BPM climb afraid that she's crashing again. He shoots up from his chair, ignoring the dizzy feeling.

"Cassie?" Her eyes dart back and forth beneath closed lids and she whimpers something inaudible. Dick glances between the fast rise and fall of her chest and the way she digs her fingers into the mattress understanding dawning on him. She's not dying; she's having a nightmare. Somehow knowing it's a nightmare makes Dick feel worse. He reaches out and squeezes her left shoulder gently because it's the only part of her not stitched up or bandaged. Her eyes fly open, blue – green irises scrutinizes the room, and she tries to pushes herself into a sitting position in her panic but even her less- injured right side won't support her weight. It all happens so fast Dick doesn't have a chance to catch her before she slips back down onto her left side and yelps clutching as best she can at three cracked ribs. Dick reaches out to help her get upright again talking loud to try to bring her back to the present. "It's okay. Cassie. It's okay," She paws at his hands, her eyes still darting about the room. "Cassie stop fighting me. I'm not going to hurt you, you're in the Med Lab." Her right hand, encased in a brace, grips his wrist but doesn't push it away and her eyes finally rest on him, relief evident. Dick cups her face in his free hand, "You're safe." She nods, sucking in deep breaths and finally stares down at her lap.

"Yeah." She claws at her left side, "Yeah, I know…" Her voice shakes and Dick wants to break Slade's neck all over again. She wipes at her cheek and looks up sheepishly, "Sorry… I'm fine. Sorry."

"Don't say sorry, its okay Cassie." A few of her hairs stick up from her pillow, without thinking about it Dick smooths them down and drops his hand. "You don't have to be ashamed of anything." Her eyes lock on something behind Dick; Bruce standing in the doorway. Dick stares at him coldly unsure of how to respond. After everything that had happened he still couldn't bring himself to forgive him for faking Slade's death. Bruce stares back at Dick his expression tight.

"I heard a scream." Cassie tugs on a stray piece of black hair uncomfortably and Bruce shifts his gaze to her. "Cassie, I'm sorry I haven't been… How are you doing?" Dick feels his shoulders tense, none of this would have happened if Bruce had been honest in the first place. He had no right. Dick turns his back to Bruce once again, Cassie looks at him quickly then back at Bruce with big eyes.

"Alright I guess… Considering." She lifts her left arm as best she can in the sling with a cringe. Dick shakes his head at her, and her eyes flit downward to her lap the thick eyelashes casting long shadows on her pale cheeks. Bruce makes a comment that Dick tunes out and excuses himself from the room. Cassie looks back up at him biting her lip.

"Don't bite, you'll crack your lip back open."

"Sorry." She wets her lips and stares past him at the doorway. Watching her Dick is struck by how strong she still seems despite her current frailty. She had to be terrified, PTSD worse than ever before yet she still tried to be brave. Dick is hit by a somewhat sad pride wondering what she's thinking about and a little afraid to find out. Just before he can ask she tells him. "You should forgive him." Dick pulls his eyebrows together confused and surprised. "Bruce. You should forgive him." She looks at him then, her eyes deep and somber. "He lied to us when he said Slade was dead the first time… Tim told me."

"Well he shouldn't have." Annoyed and a little angry Dick scratches at the stubble on his jawline. "You don't have to worry about any of that right now."

"He also told me it was Bruce who saved my life by setting up that field transfusion kit." Dick leans back and raises his eyebrows at her not entirely sure how to handle the situation. "He saved my life, Dad. And he was trying to protect us when he lied."

"If he hadn't lied this wouldn't have happened. No one would have had to save your life in the first place." Anger laces each of Dick's words. He tells himself Cassie doesn't know what she's talking about, she's scared and confused if she was thinking straight she'd see that she's wrong.

"You would've lied to me." Her eyes dare him to contradict her. Dick stares back, each time he sees the bandages and stitches and bruises his chest constricts. "If I had missed and shot him in the shoulder wouldn't you still tell me he died?"

"Doesn't matter, he's dead. I made sure." The sound of the incinerator hums in his ears.

"But if he wasn't." Her voice is curt and demanding, the most like herself she's sounded since she woke up. Dick looks down, any attempt he makes to avoid this won't pan out in his favor. He tries to put himself in the situation she's describing but all he can hear is the scream and panic of her nightmares. Dick sighs and looks up.

"I would say whatever I had to if it would help you sleep at night."


	61. Chapter 60

_A/N: These are the property of DC Nation, I do not own the characters. Thank you for reading! Love to know what you have to say!_

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Chapter 60:

Saturday; 17 September 2013

5:58 AM

Dick's POV:

Waiting at the supercomputer Dick leans forward stretching out the skin on his back, the stitches tugging at his flesh. Something about the pain is comforting. It's a reminder that all of this is real and he's not going to wake up any second and find that this too is all a lie. The reassuring burn keeps his mind from wandering too far into the "what–ifs" and the flash of the zeta beam announcing Batman's arrival wipes the thoughts out completely. Dick crosses his arms and looks up as Bruce comes forward to the computer.

"It'll make the local early morning news." Bruce pulls up the local news channel, some early morning infomercial wrapping up, "It'll hit nationally within the hour I'm sure."

"It probably already has; a high profile missing person's case personally handled by the League and resulting in two casualties... only thing that would make that less interesting would be if the world was ending again." Sure enough the first real story on the news is the relief of Cassandra Grayson's rescue by the Justice League as well as the tragic collateral of her captivity and salvation. Dick listens without turning to watch the screen a part of him feeling violated by their attempts to speculate about both his and his family's reactions and feelings. Even worse, his stomach turns acrid at the thought of vultures hunting down Cassie to hear her reaction. The man speaking catches Dick's ear with his final comment.

"We've been informed that the criminal mastermind behind Miss Grayson's kidnapping known as Slade was killed during the rescue. However this is not the first time we've heard that." Bruce tugs off his cowell and stares down at the computer his eyes like glass, "I don't know about you Gotham but I'm not leaving my door unlocked just because Batman says its okay." Bruce punches the mute button just in time to cut off the part where they wish Cassie and her family the best of luck and promise to have more on the story soon. There's an awkward silence and Dick stretches out his stitches again grateful for the small distraction it provides.

"How is she?" Dick looks down the hall where, hopefully, Cassie sleeps under Wally's watchful eye.

"Alright," The tremble of her voice haunts his ear drums, "Definitely not okay but…" Dick shakes his head drawing in a breath to calm the anger bubbling just beneath the surface. "One day at a time." Bruce nods fiddling with some computer keys. "I always forget how strong she is."

"She takes after her father." Dick stares down at his feet, everyone always said that about Cassie; how she is so much like him. Stubborn. Big-hearted. Rebellious. Loyal to a fault. It was something he never quite knew how to feel about. He couldn't deny it, Cassie was the female version of himself at sixteen. A fact equal parts terrifying, aggravating, and pride inspiring.

"Not entirely," What people didn't know is that Cassie inherited some things from her mom that he could never have taught her like her optimism, compassion, and ability to forgive. Things only Star could have given her. "She's a better person than I'll ever be. Smarter too…" Bruce turns to look at him with one eyebrow raised. Dick hesitates not entirely sure how to proceed. He turns to face his father tapping his fist gently on the console suddenly full of anxious energy. "Cassie…" Dick shakes his head. He has no idea exactly what he wants to say let alone how to go about saying it.

"Cassie what?"

"I would have done the same thing." Bruce knits his eyebrows together a hint of recognition dawning in his irises, "If Cassie had missed and Slade was alive right now… I would have done the same thing. I would have locked him up where I thought she'd never find him and told her he was gone." Bruce opens and closes his mouth and Dick suppresses a laugh at having stunned the man who could never be surprised. Before he can say anything else Dick starts talking again, folding his hands over his chest and matching his father's gaze growing more serious, "I'm not saying I'm not angry, because believe me I am, but I am saying I understand why you did it…" Bruce nods, a muscle in his cheek twitching, the room momentarily lit up by the zeta beam dropping Artemis on the platform. Quickly, Dick adds, "I'm not going to forget. But I'm willing to try to forgive."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me…" They turn as Artemis approaches them tentatively, her hands stuffed into her back pockets, "Thank Cassie." Artemis slows as she approaches the last few feet, her shoulders pulled up toward her ears and feigning caution.

"Should I be worried fists are going to start flying?" She looks pointedly at Dick.

"No, already threw the white flag." Her eyebrows shoot up behind her yellow bangs and her shoulders fall into a more relaxed position. Dick shrugs himself, moving to hug her, "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Pulling back she puts a hand over her slowly swelling stomach.

"I don't take orders well and I figured if it's been enough time for the world to know Cassie was home then I've waited long enough to tell her I've got her god child baking in here." She pats her belly gently smiling down at it, the smile falling a little when she looks up and meets Dick's eyes. "Plus I just want to see her." Dick puts an arm around her shoulders steering her toward Cassie's room.

"God child huh?" Artemis cuts him a look from beneath her eyelashes as if asking why he is surprised; who else would they pick? Dick smiles and squeezes her to his side grateful that she was around to be the mother figure Cassie never got to have. Before they go any further he calls to Bruce over his shoulder, "You coming?" Without waiting to see if he follows Dick turns back around, a weight dislodging from his heart. For the first time it feels like he can breathe, like there's nothing hanging over him and for once he truly believes it's over and that's okay. It's more than okay. It's a relief. It's wonderful.


	62. Epilogue

_A/N: I do not own these characters, they are the property of DC Nation._

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Epilogue:

Friday; 20 January 2014

12:22 AM

Cassie's POV:

Small fragile swirls of warmth emanate from Cassie's lips each time she exhales. Gotham's winter chill seeps into her bones despite the thermal suit and leaves her already stiff bones and joints stiffer. She rolls her left shoulder, the movement not as fluid and natural as she would like, but then again the fact that she can move it as much as she can after being shot is a miracle in itself. From her vantage point in the shadows between two stacks of shipping containers she can hear the soft lapping of the waves against the concrete foundation of the docks. Cassie forces herself to keep her eyes on her target, an ugly container opposite her position 10 meters away with chipping blue paint, so that she doesn't focus on the steel and feel like she's being boxed in. Silent as the falling snow, Nightwing steps out of the shadows at her flank. Cassie recovers quickly but can't hide the small jump.

"You don't have to do this." He tugs on her arm until she spins around to face him, her dark braid whipping her cheek. Cassie rolls her eyes behind her mask. "Maybe tonight's not the night…" He glances behind her briefly, hands on his hips, head angled down and Cassie feels like a child being told she doesn't know what's best for herself.

"It's been more than four months." Her voice is harsh caught between annoyance and desperation, "You promised me."

"I know, I know but… here… the docks…" He looks around him at the steel walls on either side; Cassie swallows, angry that she can't follow his gaze without feeling claustrophobic. The sensation of being boxed into that cold little room trying to sweep away her breath. "No one would think any worse of you for sitting this one out. Work another case somewhere less…"

"No." Cassie looks down at the snow glowing white around their black shoes, "That's exactly why it has to be here. I'm not going spend the rest of my life avoiding the docks. I can't." He fidgets impatiently, tugging at the collar on his suit.

"You're right, I know, just…" He folds his arms looking past her keeping an eye on their target. A black gloved hand shoots out catching a delicate flake in his palm. "It's freezing out and that's not good for some of your injuries, what if something hurts or isn't healed enough? Your shoulder, you were shot! Your shoulder definitely needs more time. We should wait until it –"

"Dad, stop." Cassie steps forward grabbing his wrist. She looks up at him imagining she can see his eyes through the mask, blue and concerned. The docks didn't just bring up bad memories for Cassie, how could they not bring up painful recollections for him as well? "All I've been doing is dealing with the press and civilians. I've had four months to heal and build my strength back up." She shifts her hand so that she's squeezing his fingers, "There's never going to be a good time for this because you are never going to be ready. And I'm not either." He squeezes back, "You have to let me do this." He places his hands on her shoulders surveying her with what Cassie assumes is a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. With a nod Cassie steps out of his grip and turns back around waiting impatiently for the weapons smugglers to arrive.

Several minutes later, and a little behind schedule, four men arrive crunching snow beneath their thick soled boots. Cassie's body tenses, her heart pounding in her ears, she takes deep quiet breaths taking comfort in the familiar clarity of a mission. It's hard to wait but she stays pressed into the shadows; they have to be caught in the act – container open, weapons present – or they'll just walk. The smugglers talk, one of them lets out a choking laugh, there's a loud crack when the lock is broken, and the metal doors screech as they are yanked open. All but one of them go inside the box and before she can think about it too much, Cassie peels herself out of the dark treading silently until she's only a few feet behind the lone smuggler starring at the back of his gray snow jacket. The familiar clarity cracks. The last time she really had to fight it had been to save Cat, and she'd died. She stands there frozen for what feels like an eternity; what if this was a mistake? What if she really isn't ready? Part of her wants to turn back but it's too late at this point with the guard finally deciding he should turn around and keep watch. Before she can panic a lifetime of training and crime fighting kicks in and her fist connects with his jaw before he has time to do anything more than widen his brown eyes at her presence. He slumps into the snow, an unconscious mass, and Cassie looks down at her still tightened fist and can't help but feel relieved she isn't useless in a fight. Quickly she bolts to the containers right door positioning herself behind it, just keeping her body weight from slamming it shut. She whistles, high and shrill, and waits.

"What the hell?" Peeking around the door she finds one of the men, this one in a black hoodie, crouching over their fallen comrade, he rises pulling a gun out of his waistband and shouting back into the container. "Guys get out here!" Cassie doesn't have to remember the feel of the bullet in her shoulder because it remembers for her. She bites her lip forcing herself to ignore it and presses her right shoulder into the icy metal waiting to hear her cue. Within seconds the footsteps of the other two criminals crunch on the snow, then their body's thud against the cold metal when the door slams them backwards. The one in the hoodie moves to fire but Cassie kicks the gun up and out of his hand following quickly only touching her foot back down briefly before she hits him again, this time in the head, and he falls on top of his partner. She sighs a smile, relishing in the adrenaline and thrill of having won. But it's too soon.

Behind her the barrel of a gun clicks into place, she spins and ducks, throwing her legs out to knock down the final assailant. The bang is loud and brings horrible memories into her head, Cat's blown out skull, her own blood pooling beneath her. This one is smart and tries to step back out of the reach of her leg, only not far enough and he ends up falling forward instead of back. Pinned beneath him Cassie drives her fist into his chest, all too conscious of the gun pointed at her skull, freezing her like the snow. She looks into his face, but it's not just another criminal, the one exposed eye of Slade's mask stares back at her time slowing down around them. Her breath catches in her throat suppressing a scream and she blinks up at him confused and terrified, desperate to get free, but too petrified to move. He lifts the gun to point blank range, Cassie stares down its barrel some distant part of her screaming for action. Her hand obeys before her brain processes the voice, shooting her palm up and over knocking the gun away so that it fires at the snow mere inches from her head. Instinctually, she drives her knee up and over, following the momentum of her hand and landing her on top of the criminal and not underneath him. As he fumbles for his gun Cassie does a double take looking into his scrunched up and angry face; not fifteen seconds ago Slade was on top of her. _He was never here._ She knocks his hand away looking down in disbelief. Reality whips through her brain like a blizzard. _He's never coming back._ With a grunt she brings her elbow down on the man's head. For a moment he looks up at her in shock, then his face goes slack and falls to the side buried up to the nose in snow and Cassie slips off his waist to the side starring at her accomplishment with a bewildered smile.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Shouts burst from above and Robin drops out of the sky yanking her to her feet and pulling her into a tight hug. Cassie tries to hide the fact that she's trembling and breathless despite the elation of having proved to herself she can still be a hero. "Did you see that guys face when you punched him? Priceless!" He releases her and for the first time Cassie wonders what he's doing there. Before she can ask her dad steps in front of him turning her face left and right and examining her body.

"You okay? Nothing acting up again?" Cassie extricates her arms from him starting to feel more relaxed.

"Guys stop. Stop!" Nightwing drops his arms in surrender, "Seriously, you make it sound like I've never done this before." Robin scoffs and kicks the nearest unconscious smuggler in the boot.

"I think these guys would disagree." Cassie shrugs playing down the ecstatic feeling in her chest. Her dad crosses his arms, the motion bringing her mood down, his posture suggests he isn't pleased. The smile fades and she's afraid he noticed her hesitation with the gun which, to him, is more than enough reason to keep her in therapy with Black Canary and off the streets indefinitely.

"You did well, you just forgot something…" His voice is stern, Cassie's heart thumps in her ears, "What happened to the witty one liner?" His lips crack into a wide contagious grin. "It's no fun without the one liner." Rather than respond Cassie moves forward wrapping her arms around her dad's chest feeling like she'll be alright, really alright, for the first time since he rescued her. Slade could, and would, wake her up in the middle of the night. Slade could haunt the darkest corners of her mind. Nothing could ever make that nightmare go away. But now, that's all it is – a nightmare.

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_A/N: Well you guys this is it! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I loved hearing what you had to say and I take everything into consideration, especially the constructive criticism. You guys make me a better writer! _

_I'd love to hear any final comments about the story now that it's over so please don't be shy!_

_Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! _

_Have a wonderful day!_


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